A single mis-drilled rivet hole could have grounded a Beechcraft B200 for days. Every hour counts when an aircraft is grounded. Instead, PartWorks got the aircraft back in service the same week with no oversized rivets, no engineering delays, and no follow-up inspections required.
| Aircraft | Beechcraft B200 |
|---|---|
| Problem | Mis-drilled rivet hole in left-hand forward spar cap |
| Structure | 0.250″ 2014-T6511 extrusion + 2024-T351 Alclad plate |
| Solution | PartWorks dual bushing system (15-5PH CRES inner + 2024-T351 outer) |
| Result | Aircraft returned to service, standard rivets used, no engineering disposition required, no fatigue life impact |
| Push-out strength | 500+ lbs |
The Problem: A Damaged Hole in a Critical Part of the Aircraft
During routine maintenance on a Beechcraft B200 aircraft, a technician found a problem. A rivet hole in the left-hand forward spar cap had been drilled in the wrong spot. This is a structural part of the wing, not something you can ignore or patch with a quick fix.
The hole needed to be cleaned up and returned to the correct size so a standard rivet could be installed. The materials involved were aircraft-grade aluminum and specialized extrusion stock, both precise and both unforgiving.
Without a suitable repair solution, the extensive repair and approval may have been slow and expensive.
The Old Way: Why Traditional Repairs Create More Problems
When a rivet hole gets damaged, most MRO shops follow the same multi-step process. It works, but it takes time, costs money, and often creates new complications.
- The damaged hole is reamed out to a larger size. This fixes the shape geometry, but it removes material, which can create edge distance issues that require an engineering review.
- If the hole is too large for standard rivets or violates design tolerances, the MRO must contact the aircraft manufacturer or a licensed engineering rep for a formal disposition. That process can take days and increase costs.
- Once approved, an oversize rivet goes in with a corrosion-inhibiting compound. Precision is critical, and in some cases, custom tools are needed to keep alignment correct.
- After installation, non-destructive testing(NDT) such as eddy current or dye penetrant may be required. Engineering signs off. The repair gets flagged for follow-up inspections at future maintenance intervals for impact on fatigue life.
The result: more time on the ground, more paperwork, more cost, and a repair record that requires monitoring for the life of the aircraft.
The PartWorks Solution: A Dual Bushing System That Restores the Original Hole
PartWorks engineers designed a dual bushing repair specifically for situations like this. The goal was simple: clean up the damage, re-center the hole, and allow the aircraft to accept the same standard rivet it was designed for, with no modifications to the surrounding structure.
The system uses two nested bushings installed together:
- An inner bushing made from 15-5PH CRES stainless steel (thin-wall, passivated finish)
- An outer bushing made from 2024-T351 aircraft-grade aluminum (bare finish)
The two bushings sit inside the damaged hole together. They re-center the proper hole alignment, restore the correct hole diameter, and lock in place under the installation force. Opposing flanges on each bushing distribute the structural load, the same way the original rivet was designed to do.
Installation uses a mandrel-based process. No hammering, no guesswork. The bushing goes in straight, concentric, and seated correctly every time. This ensures reliable load distribution.
How PartWorks Proved It Would Work Before Shipping a Single Part
Before any parts went to the field, PartWorks ran two separate validation steps.
Step 1: Computer Analysis (FEA)
PartWorks engineers ran a Finite Element Analysis, a computer simulation that shows how parts behave under load. They modeled how the bushing system would perform during installation, including what happens to the surrounding metal when the bushing expands inside the hole.
Three different fit tolerances were tested to find the right balance between bushing retention (interference) with minimal impact to the structure (deformation or residual stresses). The goal: a bushing that stays put under load without putting excessive stress on the surrounding material.
Step 2: Physical Installation Tests
Test pieces were machined from 7050-T7451 aircraft aluminum. The bushing system was installed under the worst conditions the tolerances allow: bushings too large for the hole, and bushings slightly undersized.
Results across all test conditions:
- All repaired holes accepted standard -4 rivets with no additional reaming required
- Minimal bushing extrusion at the edges, even at maximum expansion
- No material bulging at the free edge of the hole
- Push-out retention force exceeded 500 lbs in every test
The repair held. The original rivet size was preserved. No follow-up inspections were required.
The Result: Aircraft Back in Service. No Engineering Delays. No Oversized Rivets.
The PartWorks dual bushing system fixed the mis-drilled hole on the Beechcraft B200 without any of the complications that traditional repairs typically require.
- No DER or OEM engineering disposition required
- Standard MS20470AD-8 rivets used, no oversize inventory needed
- No follow-on inspection intervals added to the maintenance record
- Aircraft returned to service without any impact to fatigue life
“PartWorks delivered a validated, field-ready solution that eliminated the need for engineering delays, specialty tooling, and oversize fastener inventory. The aircraft went back into service without any record of compromised structural integrity.”
PartWorks Engineering Team
What This Means for Your Operation
If your shop deals with mis-drilled holes, elongated rivet holes, or damaged fastener locations in structural aircraft components, this repair system was built for exactly that situation.
No exotic materials. No multi-week approval process. No oversized fasteners to stock. Just a clean, tested repair that restores the original hole and gets your aircraft back in the air.
Every hour a grounded aircraft is not flying, it costs money. PartWorks exists to reduce that time.
This case study documents a PartWorks dual bushing repair performed on a Beechcraft B200 aircraft. Engineering analysis and installation validation were conducted by the PartWorks engineering team. Published April, 2026, by Jude Restis.