Tulsa Shop Did Not Have Current Repairman Certificates

The Federal Aviation Administration has issued a notification for aircraft owners, operators, manufacturers, maintenance organizations, and parts suppliers and distributors regarding improper maintenance performed on reciprocating engine crankcases by a maintenance shop in Tulsa, OK.

Information received during an FAA suspected unapproved parts investigation revealed that between November 2003 and March 2006, Crankcase Services USA, Ltd. (Crankcase), improperly maintained and approved for return to service reciprocating engine crankcases. Crankcase holds Air Agency Certificate No. UMRR730X and is authorized to perform maintenance using an approved welding process to repair reciprocating engine crankcases.

Discrepancies noted in Crankcase practices included, but are not limited to, the following:

• Failing to ensure that all test and inspection instruments used to make airworthiness determinations are calibrated to a standard acceptable to the FAA. Crankcase used torque wrenches, digital depth micrometers, and dial indicators that exceeded the time allotted for recalibration by approximately two years.
• Failing to maintain required record keeping in accordance with their repair station manual.
• Approving articles for return to service without holding current FAA Repairman Certificates.

A partial list of suspect parts is available at the FMI link below.

As regulations require that type-certificated products conform to their type design, the FAA recommends all users that are possibly affected by this notification should inspect their aircraft, aircraft records, and/or parts inventories for any crankcase halves approved for return to service by Crankcase. If these parts are found installed on aircraft, appropriate action should be taken.

If any crankcase halves approved for return to service by Crankcase are found in existing inventory, it is recommended that they be segregated to prevent installation until their eligibility for installation is determined.

FMI: Read The Full FAA Notification (.pdf)