FAA Orders Check of Small-Plane Engines

Federal authorities ordered inspections of more than 1,000 small aircraft after engine faults were found that played a role in a Michigan plane crash that killed three in August. The order takes effect today.

The order from the Federal Aviation Administration covers 1,150 plane engines made by Textron Lycoming, a Textron subsidiary in Williamsport, Pa. The FAA had previously recalled 400 of the engines in February and an additional 500 in August.

A problem in the production process caused a defect in the engines’ metal crankshaft, said FAA spokesman Paul Takemoto. The engines are in planes made by Piper Aircraft Inc., Textron’s Cessna and high-end business aircraft manufacturers, Takemoto said.

The most recent FAA order was prompted by a nonfatal incident in Colombia in July, Takemoto said. The crankshaft in that engine was not among those found in engines previously ordered recalled.