CASE STUDY
Hailstorm Damage Assessment
The Challenge
Following a severe hailstorm, a commercial aircraft sustained widespread surface damage and was placed in Aircraft on Ground (AOG) status. With every hour of downtime impacting operations and cost, a fast and accurate engineering assessment was critical to understand the extent of damage, prioritise inspections, and define an effective repair strategy.
Our Solution
MES deployed a rapid-response engineering team to site, using advanced 3D laser scanning and digital metrology to capture the full damage profile quickly and accurately.
Unlike traditional manual methods, our digital workflow removed the need for physical marking, enabling faster data capture across the entire aircraft surface. The resulting scan data was processed into a precise, high-resolution digital map of all impact points, providing engineers with a clear and reliable basis for structural assessment and repair planning—along with a permanent, traceable inspection record
Smarter Inspection & Engineering
We delivered the data in a clear, structured format, allowing the OEM to review findings and approve repair schemes more efficiently. Accurate and consistent outputs helped accelerate decision-making and streamline approvals.
Our rapid scanning and processing also enabled more effective planning of Non-Destructive Testing (NDT). By identifying exactly where further inspection was required, NDT could be targeted and timed correctly—reducing unnecessary work, lowering costs, and maximising productive time on the aircraft.
The Outcome
By replacing manual inspection with a streamlined digital approach, MES significantly reduced assessment time and improved overall efficiency.
The combination of rapid AOG response, precise damage mapping, high-quality engineering outputs, and optimised NDT planning enabled faster decisions, quicker approvals, and accelerated repairs—resulting in a safe return to service with minimal downtime.
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