Agency Says Standby Parts Had Help In Falsifing Approvals

The FAA has just issued an alert to aircraft owners whose planes may be flying with parts purchased from former distributor Standby Parts, Inc. The agency says those parts were sold using fradulently produced approval documents.

The FAA says during joint investigations conducted by the agency, the Department of Transportation –- Office of Inspector General, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation revealed that between September 1999 and April 2002, Standby Parts made or caused to be made invoices, part certifications, and FAA 8130-3 Airworthiness Tags that contained false statements regarding the actual condition of aircraft parts.

The investigation also found that between September 1999 and April 2002, Standby Parts purchased various aircraft parts known to be in a "repairable" or "as is" condition.

Furthermore, the agency says Standby Parts was aided by Daniel Larue Booker, an FAA Designated Airworthiness Representative (DAR), and George G. Thompson, owner of TATCO, a repair station, to obtain FAA 8130-3 tags that falsely represented the parts as being in a new condition.

"Some of the parts inspected and approved for return to service by TATCO were outside the repair station’s ratings and limitations," the FAA states. "Some of the FAA 8130-3 tags issued by Daniel Booker were for parts never inspected by the DAR."

The FAA recommends aircraft owners, operators, manufacturers, maintenance organizations, and parts distributors should inspect their aircraft and/or parts inventory for aircraft parts sold by Standby Parts between September 1999 and April 2002. If any are found installed on aircraft, appropriate action should be taken.

If any are found in existing aircraft stock, it is recommended that they be quarantined to prevent installation until a determination can be made regarding their eligibility for installation.

FMI: www.faa.gov, www.oig.dot.gov