A complaint was filed on September 7 by the engine manufacturer CFM International following the revelation that falsely certified components were fitted on 68 of its engines.
A UK-based supplier is said to have produced documentation for parts which were then installed on the engines fitted to the family’s planes Airbus A320 and Boeing 737. The legal filing offers more details on the developing story regarding the documentation of seaworthiness falsified – known as certificates of authorized release (ARC) – supplied by UK supplier AOG Technics. CFM, the joint venture between GE Aerospace and Safran, filed a lawsuit against the UK-based company on September 7, saying it suspected 68 engines had been fitted with fake parts.
The lawsuit seeks to force AOG Technics to provide more information, helping manufacturers and airlines track down unauthorized replacement parts installed in fleets around the world. ” There security is our first priority and we are aggressively pursuing legal action against AOG Technics to accelerate the industry’s ability to identify parts sold by this third party with falsified documentation,” commented a CFM International spokesperson.
The engine in question is the CFM56, an engine equipping older generation Airbus A320 family aircraft and Boeing 737 NGs. An investigation of EASA revealed that some of the fraudulent components include turbine blades, believed to be “limited life parts” likely to become fatigued over time. CFM said none of the engines fitted with fake parts had been involved in any accidents. The engine manufacturer adds: “AOG Technics has no affiliation with GE Aerospace, Safran Aircraft Engines or CFM. We have proactively alerted our customers and service shops, and we continue to work with our customers to evaluate the authenticity of the documentation of parts they have acquired directly or indirectly from AOG Technics. »
The issue was first brought to CFM’s attention in July after parts from AOG Technics were accompanied by suspicious documentation. The documentation claimed the parts were new, but experienced technicians said they appeared used. C.F.M. And Saffron looked into the matter and confirmed that the documentation had been falsified before informing regulators.
It appears that certificate manufacturing is just the tip of the iceberg at AOG. According to a Bloomberg report, key employees at the company have been falsifying their work histories and even using stock photos on their LinkedIn profiles. For example, sales manager Ray Kwong claimed to have spent decades working for companies like All Nippon Airways (ANA), Mitsubishi And Nissan, but none of these companies have any record of his employment. AOG also claims to have workshops located in places like Singapore, Miami and Frankfurt, but this is also false.
