FAA Investigates Lycoming IO-360 Engine Shutdowns: A Safety Alert
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued an Airworthiness Concern Sheet (ACS) on December 16, 2024. This ACS investigates multiple reports of uncommanded engine shutdowns in aircraft equipped with Lycoming IO-360 engines using AVStar-manufactured fuel servos.
The issue at hand involves both vertically and horizontally mounted fuel servos. These servos are experiencing “rollback events”—unexpected engine shutdowns when pilots reduce throttle to idle power. The FAA has documented these incidents on popular training and general aviation aircraft including:
- Cessna 172S
- Cessna 172R
- Piper Archer III
- Piper Pilot 100i
- Piper Seminole models
According to the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), the ACS serves as a proactive communication tool. It enables the FAA to collaborate with the aviation community and collect critical information on emerging safety concerns before mandatory airworthiness directives become necessary. The agency is requesting operators and maintenance personnel to provide detailed reports of any rollback events within 90 days. These reports should include:
- Aircraft configuration
- Engine hours
- Fuel servo details
- Circumstances of the incident
Owners and operators are urged to contact David Bergeron, Engine & Propulsion Aviation Safety Engineer at the FAA’s Eastern Certification Branch. You can reach him via email at ECB-COS@faa.gov or call 860-386-1805 with any relevant information.
Source: General Aviation News