KEY POINTS:
Hundreds of small aircraft could be grounded today after United States authorities detected a fault that can cause engine failure.
Last night, the Civil Aviation Authority warned many New Zealand aviation companies and aircraft owners to check fuel injection engines immediately for a possible fault.
Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority said as many as 3000 small aircraft there could be grounded, especially those of smaller airlines that ferry miners to remote outposts.
If present, the fault could cause loss of power and engine failure. The engines must be checked before the planes are flown again.
US authorities have recorded 18 incidents of a gasket inside the fuel injection system failing on some Lycoming engines, some Teledyne Continental reciprocating engines and some Superior Airparts reciprocating engines.
The engines need to have been rebuilt, serviced, overhauled, repaired or bought new since August 22, 2006, to be affected.
The fault is in a gasket sealant which, if it failed, could lead to the escape of a small plug in the system, with a loss of power possibly following.
The CAA emergency directive is being sent to 225 operators and owners of single- and twin-engined fuel-injected, piston-engined aircraft. It is also posted on the CAA's website.
Jet engines are not involved so passenger fleets are not affected.
Bill Sommer of CAA was unable to give a figure on the exact number of New Zealand aircraft involved.
Some operators may have five or more planes affected.
The US issued the alert yesterday and the CAA issued the airworthiness directive as soon as possible after studying the American directive.
The directive must be followed and aircraft affected cannot be flown until checked - and repaired if necessary.
- NZPA
