New Lycoming AD to Affect 16,000 Customers | Aero-News Network
Aero-News Network
RSS icon RSS feed
podcast icon MP3 podcast
Subscribe Aero-News e-mail Newsletter Subscribe

Airborne Unlimited -- Most Recent Daily Episodes

Episode Date

Airborne-Monday

Airborne-Tuesday

Airborne-Wednesday Airborne-Thursday

Airborne-Friday

Airborne On YouTube

Airborne-Unlimited-04.14.25

Airborne-NextGen-04.15.25

AirborneUnlimited-04.16.25

Airborne-AffordableFliers-04.17.25

SunnFun-DayFour-04.03.25

Tue, Nov 05, 2024

New Lycoming AD to Affect 16,000 Customers

FAA Issues Directive Following Reports of In-Flight Shutdowns

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued a new airworthiness directive (AD) affecting Lycoming engine models with specific connecting rod assemblies. This was prompted by a series of reports of con rod failures that caused uncontained engine breakdowns and in-flight shutdowns (IFSDs).

The directive mandates routine oil inspections to identify bronze metal particles, a potential indicator of connecting rod degradation. If any particles are detected, mechanics must perform additional checks on connecting rod bushings for signs of damage, misfit, movement, or excessive wear. Replacing compromised bushings with approved parts is required to prevent flight risks.

According to the FAA, around 16,000 engines on US aircraft, including popular IO-360 and O-320 models, fall under this directive. Inspections and potential bushing replacements are projected to incur significant costs, with estimates placing oil inspection expenses at approximately $235 per engine, connecting rod bushing inspections at $85, and bushing replacements at around $762 each.

For U.S. operators, the AD could result in roughly $3.76 million for oil inspections, $1.36 million for bushing inspections, and around $12.19 million for part replacements.

The manufacturer’s analysis concluded that certain connecting rod bushings installed between 2009 and 2017 were manufactured below specification, specifically in terms of outer diameter (OD). This substandard sizing leads to reduced retention in the connecting rod, allowing the bushing to shift within the rod assembly and suffer wear from piston forces. This misfit accelerates part failure, risking uncontained engine events.

The directive is set to take effect December 5, 2024. It does not specify an oil change frequency, so inspections can continue on each operator's maintenance schedule. Oil filters are typically evaluated at each oil change regardless of the AD, so it should not cause too much hassle unless anything concerning is found.

Given the significant risks posed, the FAA deems this AD essential for maintaining operational safety across affected Lycoming-powered aircraft.

FMI: www.faa.gov

Advertisement

More News

Aero-News: Quote of the Day (04.21.25)

"That, to me, is the real exciting part that you know that this airplane somehow had a history with a family or a person. That's kind of the cool stuff... If you find the right swi>[...]

ANN's Daily Aero-Term (04.21.25): Terminal Radar Service Area

Terminal Radar Service Area Airspace surrounding designated airports wherein ATC provides radar vectoring, sequencing, and separation on a full-time basis for all IFR and participa>[...]

ANN's Daily Aero-Linx (04.21.25)

Aero Linx: The People's Mosquito Ltd The De Havilland DH.98 Mosquito enjoys legendary status. This exemplar of British aeronautical design genius is moulded around its graceful lin>[...]

Airborne-NextGen 04.22.25: NYC eVTOL Network, ForgeStar-1, Drone Safety Day

Also: CiES Documents, Hypersonic Tech, SKYTRAC Health Monitoring, Skyryse Archer Aviation announced a blueprint for an eVTOL network in New York City that would connect travelers b>[...]

Aero-News: Quote of the Day (04.22.25)

“At Electra, we are on a mission to deliver a new era of aviation, a leap forward in advanced air mobility that is both transformational and practical. The EL9 Ultra Short op>[...]

blog comments powered by Disqus



Advertisement

Advertisement

Podcasts

Advertisement

© 2007 - 2025 Web Development & Design by Pauli Systems, LC