The FAA has approved an alternative method of compliance (AMOC) for owners of some aircraft grounded in a sweeping AD involving Superior Air Parts aftermarket cylinders. It particularly relates to a section of the AD requiring replacement of the cylinders 12 years after installation regardless of condition or the number of hours on them. Under the guidelines of this new Global AMOC, owners of aircraft who have over 12 years on their affected Millennium Cylinders, but have not yet reached TBO, will be able to alternately comply with the AD through ongoing inspections of their cylinders, Superior General Manager Ken Chatten said. These tests include visual inspection, compression check, leak check, and a borescope inspection every 50 flight hours or during an annual. Whichever comes first.
The AMOC could extend the life of the cylinders by up to five years until the already established 17-year time-in-service limit provided they pass all the inspections and checks. Chatten said the 12-year rule imposed in April through the update of an earlier AD could have grounded 1,000 airplanes. We estimate that by approving our Global AMOC procedures, the FAA has safely eased a considerable immediate financial burden,” he said. Chatten also credited AOPA and the FAA for working out a solution. We will continue to work with the FAA and AOPA to find ways to reduce the burden of this AD on aircraft owners, Chatten said.
