A system and method for structural health monitoring (SHM) of a physical structure, such as an aircraft component. The system may comprise a central data acquisition module and a plurality of wireless, self-contained sensor wafers bonded to a surface of the physical structure. The central data acquisition module and the sensor wafers may be communicably coupled in a hierarchical order. If any of the sensor wafers detects a structural fault, it may be stored in a memory of the central data acquisition module for retrieval by maintenance personnel. If one or more of the sensor wafers malfunctions, the central data acquisition module may reconfigure the hierarchical order in which the sensor wafers communicate to exclude the malfunctioning sensor wafer or wafers. The sensor wafers may include a sensor, circuitry, a wireless antenna, and a power source.