Aviation safety information
September 2011
United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) Report to Congressional Requesters
Aviation Safety Status of FAA’s Actions to Oversee the Safety of Composite Airplanes
On the basis of expert interviews and a review of literature, GAO identified four key safety-related concerns with the repair and maintenance of composites in commercial airplanes—(1) limited information on the behavior of airplane composite structures, (2) technical issues related to the unique properties of composite materials, (3) standardization of repair materials and techniques, and (4) training and awareness.