Superior Air Parts is totally committed to the safety of its customers and is working closely with the FAA to determine the root cause and best course of action.
Coppell, TX (February 25, 2020) — Representatives of Superior Air Parts, Inc., announced today that the company is aware of the FAA’s recent notice of proposed rulemaking (NRPM) concerning a proposed airworthiness directive (AD) for Superior Air Parts (SAP) model O-360, IO-360 reciprocating engines, and certain Lycoming Engines model AEIO-360, IO-360, and O-360-series reciprocating engines.
“Unfortunately, we were only informed of the proposed rule two-weeks ago. Since then, we have been in contact with the FAA regarding their findings to fully understand the issue and identify the most likely cause of the failures,” stated Scott Hayes, VP of sales and marketing Superior Air Parts, Inc. “Our engineering team is currently reviewing all of the available information, and once we have determined the actual cause, we can work with the FAA to determine the most logical course of action.”
Hayes said that the FAA estimates the AD would affect 115 crankshaft assemblies installed in U.S. registered certified aircraft.
“All I can say for certain is that it is still just too early to form any type of conclusion about what caused these three crankshafts to fail the way they did,” stated Bill Ross, VP of product support, Superior Air Parts, Inc. “We want every one of our customers to know that we put safety ahead of everything and will do everything in our power to find the root cause as soon as possible.”
Hayes said that the affected crankshafts were all produced by a specific Superior Air Parts vendor between 2012 and 2014, with the following parts numbers: (P/N) SL36500-A20 or P/N SL36500-A31, with serial numbers 82976-01; 82976-02; SP12-0003 through AP12-0089, inclusive; SP13-0034 through SP13-0150, inclusive; or SP14-0151 through SP14-0202, inclusive.
The crankshaft assemblies were installed as original equipment on new Superior Air Parts Model O-360 and IO-360 engines, and as replacement parts under Parts Manufacturer Approval (PMA) on certain Lycoming Model AEIO-360, IO-360, and O-360 engines.
Link to FAA NPRM:
For more information, please contact:
Scott Hayes, VP Sales and Marketing: 972.215.6992
Bill Ross, VP Product Support: 214.395.9183
About Superior Air Parts, Inc.
Superior Air Parts, Inc., is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Superior Aviation Group. Founded in 1967, Superior Air Parts is the leading manufacturer of FAA approved aftermarket PMA replacement parts for Lycoming and Continental Aerospace Technologies aircraft engines. In addition, the company manufactures the FAA certified Vantage Engine and the XP-Series Engine family for experimental and sport aircraft builders. For more information, visit: www.superiorairparts.com
