Abstract This paper reports the development of a novel ultrasonic inspection technique that detects radial fatigue cracks on the far side of thin airframe stiffener ‘weep’ holes. These cracks are located on the upper part of the weep hole (12 o'clock position), away from the lower skin of the wing. Cracks in this position are not readily detectable by conventional ultrasonic inspection techniques, particularly for short cracks. A special technique using circumferential creeping waves was adapted to inspect for these cracks. The conventional creeping wave technique experiences a strong specular reflection from the near surface of the hole that masks the creeping wave signal that arrives later in time. In order to overcome this difficulty, a split-aperture (two-element) transducer was used that resulted in the specular and creeping wave echoes being approximately equal in magnitude. The two separate transducers allowed us to alternate between pulse-echo and pitch-catch modes of operation with a resulting improvement in detection sensitivity. In the case of 0.25-inch-diameter weep holes, optimum sensitivity was calculated to be around 5 MHz. The detection threshold was found to be approximately 0.003 inches and the signal saturated at crack lengths in excess of 0.020 inches. The original paint and surface finish had no substantial adverse effects on the technique's sensitivity. Similarly, changing the weep hole diameter or chamfer conditions did not significantly affect the technique's performance. These results were obtained using specimens with both machined notches and real fatigue cracks.