AOPA prevents AD that would have affected 127,000 aircraft
By AOPA ePublishing staff
Thanks to the FAA’s willingness to consider industry input early in
the airworthiness directive process, AOPA was able to gather data and
work with the agency to prevent an AD that would have affected more
than half of the aviation fleet.
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The issue centers around float-type carburetors on 127,000 aircraft.
During the past two decades, float-type carburetors have been a
contributing or causal factor in accidents. Because of that, the FAA
issued an airworthiness concern sheet earlier this year addressing
that issue and officially starting the AD process.
Through data collected by the AOPA Air Safety Foundation, AOPA was
able to show that while float-type carburetors were a contributing or
causal factor, the problem with the carburetors that caused those
accidents were not the same. For example, in some cases the wrong
float-type carburetor was installed on the engine; in others, it was
a gasket problem.
Because of AOPA’s research, the FAA has instead issued a special
airworthiness information bulletin (SAIB) that alerts pilots of the
potential hazards associated with float-type carburetors. The FAA
recommends that pilots examine the engine area for fuel leaks during
preflight; watch out for carburetor flooding during engine start;
monitor fuel consumption; and be vigilant of difficulty shutting down
the engine when the mixture is pulled to idle cut off.
Owners, operators, and mechanics should inspect the carburetor for
signs of fuel leakage; inspect for fuel stains; comply with engine
and carburetor recommendations from the manufacturer; and overhaul
the carburetor every time the engine is overhauled. The overhaul
interval could coincide with the engine overhaul, or occur every 12
years or 2,400 hours, the SAIB recommends.
“The FAA really considered our concerns, analyzed our data, and came
out with the best action for pilots and aircraft owners,” said Leisha
Bell, AOPA director of aircraft and environmental issues. “The
recommendations in the SAIB are reasonable given the history of our
piston fleet.”
October 22, 2009
