SAIB NE-13-15

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FAA Aviation Safety SPECIAL AIRWORTHINESS INFORMATION BULLETIN SUBJ: Engine Controls: Continental Motors, Inc. (CMI) Throttle and Mixture Control Levers SAIB: NE-13-15 Date: February 8, 2013 This is information only. Recommendations aren’t mandatory.

Introduction

This Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) is to advise you, registered owners, operators, and certified repair facilities, of airplanes equipped with Continental Motors, Inc. (CMI), continuous flow, fuel injected engines (except FADEC-equipped engines), of an airworthiness concern related to certain throttle and mixture control levers. Affected engines include all IO-240, IO-360, LTSIO-360, TSIO-360, IO-346, IO-470, GIO-470, TSIO-470, IO-520, GTSIO-520, LIO-520, TSIO-520, IO-550, GIO-550, TSIO-550, and TSIOL-550 continuous flow, fuel injected engines (except FADEC-equipped engines). The airworthiness concern is not an unsafe condition that would warrant airworthiness directive (AD) action under Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) part 39.

Background

The FAA has received reports from the field of throttle and mixture control levers loosening during service, resulting in either a partial or complete loss of throttle and/ or mixture control. The subject throttle and mixture control levers were manufactured from a bronze material.

Splines on the mating control shaft are pressed into the bronze control levers during installation by torquing a lock nut. Reinstalling bronze material levers can cause premature wear on the lever splines thereby reducing the amount of engagement with the control shaft. Additional wear during service can lead to complete disengagement of the splines and result in loss of throttle and/ or mixture control.

Bronze material is no longer used to manufactur these levers. CMI now manufactures these levers from stainless steel. The stainless steel levers have machined splines that are more durable to prevent premature wear. Additionally, CMI has issued CMI Critical Service Bulletin CSB08-3B, Revision B, dated February 1, 2013, which requires replacement of all bronze material throttle and mixture levers with the new stainless steel levers at the next 100 hour, or annual, inspection, or when the lever is removed for any reason, whichever occurs first.

Recommendation

The FAA recommends that you remove the bronze material throttle and mixture control levers from service in accordance with the guidance in CMI Critical Service Bulletin CSB08-3B.

For Further Information Contact

Eric B. Potter, Aerospace Engineer, Atlanta Aircraft Certification Office, FAA, Small Airplane Directorate, 1701 Columbia Ave., College Park, GA 30337; phone: (404) 474-5583; fax: (404) 474- 5806; email: [email protected].

2 For Related Service Information Contact

Continental Motors, Inc., Factory Service, 2039 South Broad Street, Mobile, AL 36615; phone: (800) 326-0089.