EASA SIB NE-13-15: Continental Motors, Inc. (formerly Teledyne Continental) Throttle and Mixture Control Levers.

What to do

Operators and maintenance personnel should replace all bronze throttle and mixture control levers with the stainless steel versions as outlined in Continental Motors Critical Service Bulletin CSB08-3B, Revision B. This replacement should occur at the next 100-hour or annual inspection or whenever the lever is removed, whichever comes first.

Summary

The FAA Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin NE-13-15 provides information regarding throttle and mixture control levers manufactured by Continental Motors, Inc. (formerly Teledyne Continental) for certain continuous flow, fuel injected engines excluding FADEC-equipped models. Affected engines include IO-240, IO-360, LTSIO-360, TSIO-360, IO-346, IO-470, GIO-470, TSIO-470, IO-520, GTSIO-520, LIO-520, TSIO-520, IO-550, GIO-550, TSIO-550, and TSIOL-550. The bulletin addresses an airworthiness concern related to bronze throttle and mixture control levers that may loosen during service, potentially causing loss of throttle or mixture control.

What changed

This bulletin informs operators that bronze throttle and mixture control levers are subject to premature wear and spline disengagement, which can lead to control loss. Continental Motors, Inc. has replaced bronze levers with more durable stainless steel versions and issued Critical Service Bulletin CSB08-3B, Revision B, requiring replacement of bronze levers with stainless steel ones at the next 100-hour or annual inspection or upon lever removal.

Why it matters

The condition poses a risk of partial or complete loss of throttle and mixture control, which can affect engine performance and flight safety. Aviation professionals, including operators and maintenance organizations, need to be aware of this issue to prevent in-service failures and ensure continued airworthiness of affected aircraft equipped with Continental Motors engines.