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Borescope inspection without disassembly

Aviation Mechanic General (AMG) practice question 17 of 17 on Human Factors. ACS element AM.I.L.R2 · difficulty: recall. Want to answer it in a timed quiz? Use the Aviation Mechanic General (AMG) practice mode.

Question bank updated 2026-09-22

QUESTIONWhat capability does a borescope give a technician who is inspecting an aircraft or engine?

  1. AMeasure a part's hardness and heat-treat condition
  2. BSee inside areas without disassembling the unit
  3. CDetect subsurface voids by using sound waves
Show the answer and explanation

Correct answer: B. See inside areas without disassembling the unit

  • A — incorrect Assessing hardness states and heat-treat condition is done with eddy current methods, not with a borescope, which performs what is essentially a visual inspection.
  • B — correct A borescope is a device that enables the inspector to see inside areas that could not otherwise be inspected without disassembly, which is why borescopes reduce or eliminate the need for costly teardowns.
  • C — incorrect Locating internal voids with sound energy moving through the specimen describes ultrasonic inspection; a borescope only carries light and an image out of the area being viewed.

BACKGROUND

A borescope inspection is essentially a visual inspection carried out through an opening instead of through a teardown. Turbine engines are built with access ports designed specifically for borescopes, and the tool is used to check hydraulic cylinders and valves for pitting, scoring, porosity and tool marks, to search for cracked cylinders in reciprocating engines, to view turbine blades and combustion cans, to verify the placement and fit of seals and gaskets, and to assess foreign object damage. Borescopes come in a rigid small-diameter telescope type with a tiny mirror at the end and a more flexible fiber optic type, and most include a light to illuminate the area being viewed. Many can display the image on a computer or video monitor and record it for future reference. Because the equipment judges the condition of a part in place, it is a non-invasive way to determine the airworthiness of hard-to-reach components, and the handbook credits it with reducing or eliminating the need for costly teardowns.

STUDY TIP

Learn each non-destructive method by what it senses: a borescope carries light and an image, eddy current senses electromagnetic response, and ultrasonic uses sound energy. Sorting them that way keeps the methods from blurring together on the test.

KEY POINTS

  • A borescope lets the inspector see inside areas that could not be inspected without disassembly.
  • Borescopes reduce or eliminate costly teardowns; turbine engines have access ports made for them.
  • Rigid and fiber optic types exist, and most include a light plus the ability to display and record images.

SOURCES

  • FAA-H-8083-30B ch10 "Borescope"
  • FAA-H-8083-30B ch10 "Eddy Current Inspection"
  • FAA-H-8083-30B ch10 "Ultrasonic Inspection"
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SkyDrill is not affiliated with the FAA. This is an original practice item based on FAA-H-8083-30B Aviation Maintenance Technician Handbook – General, 14 CFR part 43 and part 65. Regulations and handbooks are revised; confirm details against the current edition.