By Luke Bodell

Simple Flying

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Engine manufacturer CFM International has filed a lawsuit against UK-based supplier AOG Technics for supplying falsely certified components.

• CFM says is taking aggressive legal action to identify parts sold by AOG Technics with falsified documentation.
• AOG Technics appears to have engaged in deceptive practices, including fabricating certificates and falsifying employee career histories, prompting airlines and regulators to remove parts supplied by the company.

A lawsuit filed by engine manufacturer CFM International reveals that falsely certified components were fitted to 68 of its engines.

A UK-based supplier is said to have fabricated documentation for parts that were later fitted to engines powering Airbus A320-family and Boeing 737 aircraft.

68 engines affected by fake spare parts

The legal filing offers more details on the developing story concerning falsified airworthiness documentation – known as Authorized Release Certificates (ARC) – provided by UK supplier AOG Technics.

CFM – the joint venture between GE Aerospace and Safran – filed a lawsuit against the UK-based company on September 7th, stating it suspects 68 engines have been fitted with the bogus parts.

The suit seeks to force AOG Technics to hand over more information, ultimately helping manufacturers and airlines to track down the unauthorized spare parts installed in fleets worldwide.

A CFM spokesperson commented,

“Safety is our first priority, and we are taking aggressive legal action against AOG Technics to accelerate the industry’s ability to identify parts sold by this third-party with falsified documentation.”

The engine in question is the CFM56, an engine powering older-generation Airbus A320-family and Boeing 737 NG aircraft.

An EASA investigation found that some of the fraudulent components include turbine blades, considered ‘life-limited parts’ susceptible to fatigue over time. CFM has said that none of the engines fitted with the bogus parts have been involved in any accidents.

For the record, CFM says it is not affiliated with AOG in any way, stating,

“AOG Technics has no affiliation with either GE Aerospace, Safran Aircraft Engines, or CFM.

We proactively alerted our customers and maintenance shops, and we continue to work with our customers to assess the authenticity of documentation for parts they acquired directly or indirectly from AOG Technics.”

Deceptive practices

The issue first came to the attention of CFM in July after parts sourced from AOG Technics were accompanied by suspicious paperwork.

Documentation claimed the parts were brand new, but experienced technicians said they looked used. CFM and Safran looked into the matter and confirmed that the documentation had been falsified before notifying regulators.

It appears that fabricating certificates is just the tip of the iceberg at AOG

According to a Bloomberg report, key employees at the company have falsified their career histories and are even using stock photos on their LinkedIn profiles.

For example, chief commercial officer Ray Kwong claimed to have spent decades working for the likes of All Nippon Airways (ANA), Mitsubishi and Nissan, but all of these companies have no record of his employment.

AOG also claims to have workshops located in places like Singapore, Miami and Frankfurt, but this is also false.

 

Airlines and regulators are now scrambling to track down engines fitted with faulty parts – as of September 7th, AOG has yet to cooperate with authorities, and its website is offline.

As a result, EASA is advising operators to remove parts supplied by AOG and replace them with certified components.

The CFM56 remains the most widely-used jet engine today, despite next-generation narrowbodies like the A320neo and 737 MAX utilizing different engines.