A British company that manufactures components for the most widely used jet airliner engine has been found to be distributing fake parts. London-based AOG Technics forged “numerous” Authorised Release Certificates for components of the CFM56 high bypass turbofan, according to the European Union Aviation Safety Agency. The CFM56 powers many Airbus and Boeing aircraft including variants of the narrowbody 737, A340, and A320.
ARCs are airworthiness certificates for aircraft parts that ensure they are produced to specific standards. AOG Technics falsified these documents. Speaking to Bloomberg, the EASA confirmed that the true origin of the parts is still a mystery. In a nutshell, the components may fit, but they were not certified to have been made to exacting aerospace standards. The type of parts with forged documents is currently unclear, but either way, these pose a huge safety risk.
Over 30,000 CFM56 engines have been built over its lengthy service life. It’s unclear exactly how many aircraft have been affected, however, CFM has found 70 falsified ARCs associated with AOG Technics that span 50 part numbers. The French-American Conglomerate CFM International is a joint venture between Safran and GE Aerospace. It has alerted its customers and maintenance facilities to look out for and quarantine parts delivered by AOG.
According to documents unearthed by Bloomberg, AOG Technics was formed in 2015 and is majority-owned by 35-year-old Jose Zamora Yrala. The company has a few million dollars in assets as of early 2022 and Yrala lists his nationality as Venezuelan on some documents, and British on others. The company has a website, but it appears to be down—not the usual trait of a legitimate business and business owner.
The American Federal Aviation Administration has yet to comment publicly on the situation, though it is being taken very seriously by the EASA, CFM, GE, and others.
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