The FAA has determined that Huntington Beach, California-based avionics manufacturer Ameri-King Corporation has manufactured, sold or distributed parts and articles for installation on FAA type-certificated aircraft that did not conform to an approved design, but were otherwise represented as FAA-approved.
As a result, the agency has issued an emergency cease and desist order to Ameri-King, while terminating its TSOA and PMA certifications. The emergency cease and desist order requires Ameri-King to immediately cease and desist manufacturing, selling and distributing any parts and articles for installation on FAA type-certificated aircraft. Prohibited activities also include advertising, repairing, rebuilding and altering any articles intended for installation on type-certificated products. As we go to press, Ameri-King’s webpage is down and the company hasn’t returned our calls for a requested statement on the matter.
The FAA order applies to a majority of Ameri-King’s product line, which includes emergency locator transmitters (ELTs), GPS switching annunciators and relays, avionics cooling fans (shown in the photo above), pressure altitude encoders, power supplies and lithium batteries.
In its official order (PDF), the agency reiterated that FAA regulations require that type-certificated products conform to their type design. According to the FAA, it appears that Ameri-King may be continuing to produce parts and articles represented as TSOA or PMA approved—even despite the emergency cease and desist order. According to the FAA order, any parts and articles produced by Ameri-King after Dec. 28, 2015, were produced without an FAA production approval.
What does this mean to aircraft owners and shops? According to the FAA, if the subject parts and articles are found installed in a type-certificated aircraft, it is recommended they be removed. If the parts and articles are found in inventory, it is recommended these parts and articles not be sold or distributed for installation on any type-certificated product.
If that’s not bad enough, the FAA said it is not confident that parts and articles manufactured by Ameri-King prior to Dec. 28, 2015, were manufactured in accordance with any approved design. The agency will continue to evaluate the continued operational safety of these parts and articles and may ultimately issue an Airworthiness Directive to address any unsafe conditions.
The FAA advises that anyone requesting further information (or to report any additional information on installed Ameri-King products) should contact the Seattle Flight Standards District Office (FSDO), 1601 Lind Ave SW, Renton, WA 98057, Telephone (425) 227-2829.
AVweb will follow future developments and will continue to report on the matter.
