The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is cautioning aircraft operators about the potential for damage to angle-of-attack (AOA) sensors during routine aircraft operations and emphasizing the importance of performing all proper maintenance tasks on the sensors to avoid subsequent malfunctions.
The FAA issued Information for Operators (InFO) 19009 last week, saying the document was intended to “inform aircraft operators of the potential for AOA sensors to be damaged during the course of normal operations.”
The agency noted “continued airworthiness activity” involving AOA sensors on a number of aircraft, from small general aviation airplanes to large transport airplanes, including the Boeing 737 MAX, grounded in March after two fatal crashes.
Accident investigators expressed concern that the sensors might have provided incorrect information to aircraft …
