A & P Shops Turning Away Work On Aircraft Older Than 18 Years

This is the first I've heard of this practice. Does anyone have
firsthand information?




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AVwebFlash Volume 13, Number 1b -- January 4, 2007
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Aging Aircraft Issues Loom

MORE PILOTS REPORT MAINTENANCE PROBLEMS
(http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archive...ll.html#194147)
AVweb's stories (1
(http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/13_1...194113-1.html),
2
(http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/13_1...194114-1.html))
on Monday about some maintenance and repair shops turning away work on
older airplanes brought in more reports from pilots who have run into
similar situations. Readers in Maryland, Texas and Utah said local
operators have told them they can no longer work on aircraft over 18
years old due to insurance and liability concerns. Brian Finnegan,
president of the Professional Aviation Maintenance Association
(http://www.pama.org/) (PAMA), told AVweb on Wednesday that the
18-year limit on manufacturer liability set by the 1994 General
Aviation Revitalization Act (GARA) does raise concerns that the focus
of litigation in the case of an accident involving an older aircraft
could shift to the maintenance shop. But so far no troubling trends
have been noted, he said.
http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archive...ll.html#194147

A HINT OF THINGS TO COME?
(http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archive...ll.html#194148)
The concern is that if enough lawyers in search of "deep pockets" go
after maintenance shops, the cost of defending against that trend
could put insurers on the defensive. Professional Aviation Maintenance
Association President Brian Finnegan said the FAA's Aging Aircraft
Committee, of which he's a member, has been carefully monitoring
litigation relevant to mechanics and maintenance providers to keep on
top of any changes. "I'm not aware of any maintenance being turned
away at this point" due to such concerns, he said. Peter Tulupman, a
spokesman for aviation insurance company AIG, told AVweb on Wednesday
that the company has no policy restricting shops from working on
aircraft over a certain age.
http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archive...ll.html#194148

AOPA ON THE LOOKOUT
(http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archive...ll.html#194150)
"AOPA has been following this for a number of months now," spokesman
Chris Dancy told AVweb on Wednesday afternoon. "In fact, Phil Boyer
had a brief face-to-face meeting with Bill Cutter last August after
the story first surfaced. Now that another shop has apparently made
the business decision to keep their insurance premiums in check by
declining to work on aircraft 18 years old or more, it raises the
question of whether these are only a couple of isolated incidents or
the beginning of a very disturbing trend." Dancy said AOPA is still
investigating the situation. "Is this truly the beginning of a trend?
If so, what action is appropriate? Will it require legislation? What
type of legislation? All of these questions and others need to be
answered before AOPA can take any action."
http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archive...ll.html#194150