Pilatus PC-24 jets must replace titanium bolts with steel ones after fatigue issues

The US aviation regulator is ordering owners of certain Pilatus PC-24 airplanes to replace specific titanium bolts with steel ones. This change comes after discovering that some titanium bolts had microstructural variations that could affect their fatigue resistance.

Aviation safety relies on every component performing as expected. When a specific batch of parts, like these titanium bolts, shows unexpected material weaknesses, it can lead to serious safety issues. This order means that a known risk is being systematically removed from a specific fleet of aircraft.