Disabled Aircraft Recovery Kit (DARK): Lift the Aircraft, Clear the Runway
Most airports have one runway, and a single disabled aircraft on it stops every movement. Arrivals divert, departures hold, and the cost climbs by the hour. That is why ICAO Doc 9137 Part 5 expects an aerodrome to keep a recovery capability sized to the largest aircraft that uses it. Neometrix’s Disabled Aircraft Recovery Kit (DARK) is engineered for that job: lift the aircraft without doing more damage, and get the runway back.
Lift It Gently, on Air
A damaged airframe is fragile and may still be loaded with fuel and cargo, so it cannot simply be jacked under a single point. Low-pressure pneumatic air-lifting bags placed under the fuselage and wings spread the load over a wide area and raise the aircraft slowly and level, controlled from a console. It is the gentlest way to lift a large, fragile structure.
Hold It, Then Recover It
Hydraulic jacks, shoring and cribbing hold the aircraft safely at each stage, and tethering stops it rolling or shifting. The undercarriage is then repaired or replaced, or the aircraft is supported on a cradle or bogie and towed clear, and the runway reopens.
The Complete Kit
A DARK is an air, hydraulic and structural problem. Neometrix builds and integrates the air supply and control, the jacking, shoring, tethering, towing and the transport trolleys that keep the kit stored and ready. The pneumatic lifting bags themselves are specialist bought-in items. The kit is scaled to the aerodrome, up to wide-body aircraft (ICAO Code E/F), and is engineered to order with no specific delivered kit claimed.
Where a Recovery Goes Wrong
In the lift and the stabilisation, not the towing. A point jack under a damaged, loaded airframe can buckle it, an uncoordinated lift twists the structure, and a poorly stabilised aircraft can roll or drop. A kit that is under-sized or not stored ready leaves the runway closed for hours longer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why use air-lifting bags instead of jacks alone?
Because bags spread the load over a large contact area. A damaged, possibly loaded airframe cannot tolerate concentrated loads at a few jacking points, but a bag set under the fuselage or wings raises it gradually and level. Jacks, shoring and cribbing are still used, but to hold the aircraft at each stage rather than to do the first lift.
What does a full recovery kit include beyond the bags?
The air supply and control console, hydraulic jacks, shoring and cribbing, tethering to stop movement, and the cradle, bogie, tow bars, dollies and transport trolleys needed to move the aircraft clear. The trolleys also keep the kit stored ready for rapid deployment.
Get In Touch
For specifications, RFQs, or a technical discussion about aircraft recovery kits:
– Product page: Disabled Aircraft Recovery Kit (DARK)
– Email: [email protected]
– Phone: +91-7777-876-876
