Three years after a costly engine recall to replace faulty crankshafts, Textron Lycoming has issued service bulletins requiring crankshaft replacement in another 1,000 lower-powered piston engines, writes Graham Warwick.
The components affected were produced by the supplier of the crankshafts replaced in 950 high-power engines after a series of in-flight failures caused by cracking. Lycoming has qualified a new supplier and manufacturing process.
Vice-president and general manager Ian Walsh says Lycoming has been monitoring the lower-power engines since completing the crankshaft recall on engines producing more than 300hp (225kW) in 2002. “We saw the same condition that prompted the first bulletin, and decided to get out in front.” There have been no fatalities caused by failures of the engines, and the incidences of crankshaft cracking “are all different”. Two involve propeller strikes, one a non-certificated experimental engine and two were on aerobatic foreign military aircraft, he says.
The bulletins affect engines manufactured, rebuilt, overhauled or repaired after March 1999 and include O-540, IO-540, AEIO-540 and TIO-540 engines rated at 290hp or lower; IO-540-P, -S and -AA engines rated at 250-290hp; IO-540 and AEIO-540 engines rated at 300hp; and counterweighted (L)O-360, (L)IO-360 and AEIO-360 engines.
The crankshafts must be replaced within 50h, and Lycoming will pay for engine removal and reinstallation and replacement of the crankshafts. The previous crankshaft supplier was recently awarded $96 million in damages in a lawsuit against Lycoming after it tried to recover the cost of the recall from the supplier. Lycoming is appealing.
Source: Flight International
