NORFOLK, Va. – Mid-Atlantic Regional Maintenance Center (MARMC) engineers responded swiftly to address critical flight deck repairs aboard USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) following the discovery of unusual wear patterns in early August.
Truman’s crew reported abnormal deterioration of the flight deck’s nonskid surface between the No. 3 and No. 4 arresting gear wires along the centerline, caused by repeated aircraft tail hook strikes. Commander, Naval Air Force Atlantic (CNAL) was notified, and an immediate evaluation of the failing nonskid was required.
Noel Parker, an engineering technician from MARMC’s Naval Architecture and Damage Control Division (Code 241A), traveled to Jacksonville, Florida, and boarded a Carrier On-board Delivery (COD) aircraft to reach the ship. Upon arrival, Parker conducted a thorough visual inspection and collected nonskid samples for analysis by the Naval Research Lab (NRL). The severity of the damage became immediately evident.
“When I probed the deck with a flat putty knife, the skid just popped right up,” Parker said. “Every time the hook was hitting the deck, it was coming up in chunks.”
Parker’s evaluation, combined with Code 241A’s review of documentation revealing improper environmental conditions during the initial nonskid application, identified approximately 71,000 square feet of nonskid requiring replacement before the carrier’s upcoming scheduled deployment.
“The landing area package is typically 55,000 square feet, so the damage went all the way to the fantail,” said Code 241A Engineering Technician, Rob Caldow. “That’s a big section.”
The project presented significant logistical challenges due to its unprecedented scale.
“The equipment, manpower, and material involved in doing this much area; sometimes we have problems getting 6,000 square feet of material,” said Parker. “We’re talking about bleeding out the entire supply system. We had teams on there around the clock. Running, cutting, stripping, cleaning, washing, testing, non-stop.”
“The contractor moved all their water jetting equipment from other ships to the Truman to meet the rapid timeline,” Caldow added. “They worked from six in the morning until dusk every day. Additionally the contractor had to quickly order and obtain a large quantity of primer and nonskid material to meet the schedule.”
Following Truman’s return to homeport, the ship entered a 24-day Continuous Maintenance Availability (CMAV). Contractors began the extensive process of removing and reapplying the nonskid surface under the vigilant supervision of Rob Caldow. The team worked extended hours, including nights and weekends, to ensure all application requirements and checkpoints were met.
The successful completion of repairs, facilitated by MARMC’s rapid response and thorough oversight, supported the on-time deployment of this critical naval asset.
MARMC, a field activity under Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA), provides surface ship maintenance, management and oversight of private sector maintenance and fleet technical assistance to ships in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States.
| Date Taken: | 11.19.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 11.19.2024 13:37 |
| Story ID: | 485639 |
| Location: | VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 82 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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