Problem
A commercial-aviation MRO returned a nickel-superalloy first-stage turbine blade that had liberated in-service well before its predicted life. Insurance loss was material; NTSB was interested.
Approach
Chain-of-custody receiving; visual + fluorescent-penetrant inspection; SEM fractography on the fracture surface; metallographic sectioning through the initiation zone; EDS microchemistry across the coating stack.
Finding
Classic HCF beach-marks initiating at a sub-surface aluminide coating discontinuity — a localized aluminum-depletion band consistent with a service excursion above design temperature, not a manufacturing defect.
Outcome
Client redirected root-cause investigation from OEM to engine-hardware operating conditions. Case closed in 6 weeks with a defensible microstructural narrative.
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