30 January 2018
Last October the US aviation authority, the FAA, issued an Airworthiness Directive regarding Ameri-King Emergency Locator Transmitters (ELT) fitted to many US light aircraft. EASA followed suit and the result is that these ELTs must be inspected or replaced by October 2018.
Orolia, the manufacturer of Kannad Emergency Locator Transmitters (also known under McMurdo) has released a new pack, called Ameri-Fit, which includes a specific connector for a retrofit installation as well as an approved ELT by both FAA and EASA.
The new Kannad Ameri-Fit pack includes the Integra AF emergency locator transmitter (ELT) for fixed-wing aircraft or the Integra AF-H for rotary wing aircraft, a universal mounting bracket, RC103 remote control panel, and adapter cable and coupler specifically designed for this application.
Christian Belleux, director at Orolia, said, “We’ve produced more than 65,000 ELTs through the years – the choice of 30 OEMS. The Integra, with its 10-year warranty, is one of our most popular models and now we’ve made it even easier to install as a replacement for the affected Ameri-King models.”
The FAA’s AD, effective from 24 October 2017, was “prompted by multiple reports of ELT failure and a report of noncompliance to quality standards and manufacturer processes related to Ameri-King Corporation ELTs.”
The AD requires operators of affected ELTs to continually inspect and verify compliant operation and to take corrective action when necessary, including replacement of the affected ELT.
The FAA AD affects Ameri-King Corporation Model AK-450 and AK-451 series ELTs. These ELTs are installed on a variety of general aviation fixed and rotor wing aircraft from a variety of manufacturers including Cessna, Beechcraft, Diamond, Cirrus, Robinson, Mooney and Piper.
