Aircraft
Certification Service Washington, DC U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Aviation Administration
2023-09
September 14, 2023
This is information only. Recommendations
aren’t mandatory.
Introduction
This Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) informs owners
and operators of aircraft installed with Parker Stratoflex 124-, 130-,
and 170-series hoses qualified to TSO-C53a and 124K-, 156-, and
171K-series hoses qualified to TSO-C75 of an airworthiness concern
regarding standards used to qualify the hoses to TSO requirements.
At this time, 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
While performing regular oversight activities, the FAA discovered
multiple instances of qualification discrepancies to hoses produced by
Parker Hannifin, Stratoflex Products Division (Parker SPD). TSO-C53a
and TSO-C75 call out specific revision levels of the standards defining
performance requirements for the various types and classes of hoses.
Parker SPD produces hoses to industry standards developed by the
Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE). Parker SPD adopted these
standards in lieu of the standards specified in the applicable TSOs
while performing testing to substantiate minor design changes to
previously approved designs. Minor design changes to existing TSO
articles do not require further FAA approval in accordance with 14 CFR
21.619(a). Certain aspects of the standards used by Parker SPD for
qualification do not meet the minimum performance requirements outlined
in the TSOs.
Recommendations
Parker SPD has provided the FAA with a matrix outlining the standards
used to qualify the affected hoses in the past that do not meet the
requirements defined in the applicable TSOs. Parker SPD has also
removed certain TSO hoses from production and has taken steps to ensure
that all hoses produced meet or exceed the minimum requirements defined
in the applicable TSOs.
Approval of TSO articles via issuance of a TSO authorization does not
constitute an installation approval for the article onto a given
aircraft. The FAA recommends owners and operators identify any affected
hoses installed on their aircraft and review the information detailed
in the Parker SPD customer letter dated August 17, 2023, to determine
if the environment unique to their installation falls within the
environment evaluated by the qualification testing performed.
For Further Information Contact
John Miller, Aerospace Engineer, AIR-7F1, Fort Worth Aircraft
Certification Office, 10101 Hillwood Pkwy, Fort Worth, TX 76177; phone
(817) 222-5018; email: john.m.miller@faa,gov
or
Jacob Fitch, Program Manager, AIR-722, COS Program Management Section,
10101 Hillwood Pkwy, Fort Worth, TX 76177; phone: (817) 222-5018;
email: jacob.fitch@faa.gov
For Related Service Information Contact
Lori Loftis Jones, Business Team Leader, Parker Hannifin Stratoflex
Products Division, 220 Roberts Cut-Off Road, Fort Worth, TX 76114;
phone: (817) 210-1412; email: lori.loftis@parker.com