Problem of Tensile Stress?

The wings of an airplane are bolted on to the fuselage with high tensile steel bolts. Although tough, the bolts can be subject to stress fracture from time & vibration movements. How often are these bolts checked? How long before we see this as a problem?

• Answer:

  There is also a spar that runs through the fuselage connecting each wing...so even if the bolts were to fracture, the spar would hold the wings onto the plane. As a general rule, bolts on an airplane are not "checked". Bolts and other structural members can be magnafluxed or otherwise examined with machines...but the cost is prohibitive and time consuming. Private planes seldom, if ever, are checked this way. Commercial airliners may be checked but only infrequently. Other problems are more likely. I've not heard of a plane losing its wings before a crash. Maybe it's happened but I've never heard of this.