Hartzell Engine Technologies acquires cabin heater line

The airworthiness directive, which was prompted by an aircraft accident and a report of a malfunctioning heater, requires detailed repetitive inspections, repetitive pressure decay tests, and disabling and if necessary, removing the combustion heater. It is estimated to affect “6,300 combustion heaters installed on, but not limited to, certain Beech, Britten-Norman, Cessna Aircraft Company, and Piper Aircraft, Inc. airplanes of U.S. registry,” according to the FAA.

“Thousands of owners are affected by the recent issuance of FAA AD 2017-06-03, which mandates that any aircraft equipped with a South Wind heater perform a series of inspections within the next 10-hours of heater operating time or next scheduled maintenance activity, whichever occurs first,” said Mike Disbrow, president of Hartzell Engine Technologies.

“Meggitt/South Wind has not produced a complete cabin heater since then-owner Stewart-Warner moved the business to Troy, Indiana, in 1989. As a result, many of the components, including the original combustion tubes, are no longer available,” he said.

Disbrow added that his company’s acquisition of the inventory, intellectual property, tooling, and rights to produce the South Wind heaters “will enable us to put needed parts back in production and support the South Wind heaters, which will ultimately benefit these owners.”

The company must obtain technical standard order (TSO) approval from the FAA before new components can be produced, however, he said.

Until that occurs, aircraft owners with affected South Wind cabin heaters can replace them with new Janitrol Aero cabin heaters with supplemental type certificate or parts manufacturer approvals from Hartzell Engine Technologies, he said.

For more information, visit the company’s website.