Bench test versus on-wing testing, did a 5 year shift change how we do it?

Xena Carr · 2026-09-03T07:10:22.385463+00:00

I remember in 2019 when I started at the MRO here in Tucson, everything got pulled and thrown on the bench. We'd run full function checks, fix what showed up, and slap it back in. Lately though, it feels like every LRU that comes out gets the quick portable tester treatment at the aircraft. Last month we had a flap position indicator that passed bench twice but kept throwing faults in the air. Third pull, we finally found a chafed harness pin that the bench setup never saw because we weren't using the actual aircraft wiring. My lead swears bench testing catches more faults because you can isolate components clean, but the new guys argue on-wing is faster and finds integration issues. Is the industry really leaning toward portable testers over full benches now, or is that just my shop cutting costs? Has anyone else noticed this same before and after shift over the last few years? What do you trust more when a unit comes back with an intermittent complaint?

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Bench test versus on-wing testing, did a 5 year shift change how we do it? | Avionics Technicians - Rigidtalk