[STEVE]

STEVE on January 20, 2026 at 6:08 am #25704

Hi David,
The decision to issue the AD was not a knee jerk reaction by the FAA. It had been issuing ADs directed at V-band clamps since 1981; a total of 11 had previously been issued. 

In addition a total of 11 Special Airworthiness Information Bulletins (SAIBs) had been issued beginning in 2003.
There was plenty of warning that V-band clamps were not install and forget about items. 

The mystery, to me at least is why not one company saw the supply drying up and didn’t, or chose not to step up supplying V-band clamps.

Perhaps instead, every company that had been supplying these clamps ran into problems getting reasonably price insurance for clamps; or chose not to jump in the pool that had ignored the problem for over 20 years.

My opinions only; I do not know the factual reason it has taken so long to get these clamps back on the market.
 

[David Roberts]

David Roberts on January 10, 2026 at 6:34 am #25691

I wonder how many more potential dangerous situations the FAA has crated with the unintended consequences of their ill-timed AD.  We have all heard and read that airplanes are meant to be flown and bad things happen when they are not.  I am sure engine internals are deteriorating and may well experience failures as a result of this prolonged grounding.

Additionally it seems the FAA is trying to create more rusty pilots.  There appears to be a total lack of common sense and/or adherence to antiquated bureaucratic red tape when other options existed.

[STEVE]

STEVE on November 6, 2025 at 9:49 am #25654

Hi David,
Thanks for the update.
What a fiasco. 
Please keep us in the loop.

Steve

[DAVID SCHRADER]

DAVID SCHRADER on November 3, 2025 at 6:48 pm #25651

I tried to field approve a simaliar part from RayJay. The FSDO says there is a rule that an alternator part can not replace an AD, or something like that.

Now we are trying to AMOC the RayJAY clamps.. We will see what happens.

Information from several sources indicates Continental is producing the clamps and the first shipments are scheduled for Feb 3, 2026. This from Continental and Air Power… The FAA said they expect the clamps to be available by summer.

[DAVID SCHRADER]

DAVID SCHRADER on July 22, 2025 at 4:48 pm #23211

Amoc for support:
https://continental.aero/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/AMOC_AD_2023-09-09.pdf

PMA for original part:
https://drs.faa.gov/browse/PMA/doctypeDetails?modalOpened=true

FSDOs have accepted some field approvals for alternate parts.