EQUIPPED TO SURVIVE (tm) - Unapproved Parts Notification

These Colors Don't Run - Remember 9.11.2001

Unapproved Parts Notification
Survival Products Life Rafts

NOTE: As we have previously noted in our Aviation Life Raft Reviews, there is often a lot of confusion as to whether or not an FAA approved life raft is required for a particular operation and whether or not a particular life raft is FAA approved. One manufacturer who has contributed a great deal to this confusion over the years has been Survival Products, Inc. For years their somewhat misleading advertisements have been a source of trouble for more than one less-than-keen-eyed operator, to say nothing of many even less knowledgeable consumers. While Survival Products used to be an FAA certificated repair station, even that approval was pulled a number of years ago due to discrepancies. Apparently the problem had become bad enough that the FAA has felt it necessary to issue a warning about the company's products and misleading advertising. Under pressure from the feds, the company has recently made it clearer in their advertising that their rafts are not FAA approved ("NON TSO'd").

U.S. DOT - FAA UNAPPROVED PARTS
NOTIFICATION

SUSPECTED UNAPPROVED PARTS
PROGRAM OFFICE, AVR-20
PO BOX 16317 WASHINTON, DC 20041

NO. 97-321
September 3, 1998

Published by: FAA, AFS-610, PO Box 26460, Oklahoma City, OK 73125
Internet Address: http://www.faa.gov/avr/sups.htm

AFFECTED LIFE RAFTS: Life rafts manufactured by Survival Products, Inc.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this notification is to advise all owners, operators, maintenance entities, and parts suppliers that Survival Products, Inc., of Hollywood, Florida, has been manufacturing life rafts without FAA approval.

BACKGROUND: An unapproved parts investigation revealed that Survival Products, Inc., manufactures life rafts and advertises them for sale in popular aviation publications as light weight, compact and "Government Approved." The "yellow tags" attached to the life rafts give the appearance that Survival Products, Inc., is a certificated repair station and that the life rafts were inspected and approved for return to service. Survival Products, Inc., does not hold an FAA production approval for the life rafts, nor is Survival Products, Inc., an FAA certificated repair station.

RECOMMENDATION: Aircraft owners, operators, maintenance entities, and parts suppliers are encouraged to inspect their aircraft and/or aircraft parts inventory for life rafts which state they have been manufactured, repaired, inspected and/or overhauled by Survival Products, Inc., of Hollywood, FL. Appropriate action should be taken to ensure that these life rafts are not utilized for aircraft operations that require an FAA approved life raft.

FURTHER INFORMATION: Further information may be obtained from the FAA Flight Standards District Office (FSDO) shown below. The FAA would appreciate any information regarding the source leading to the discovery of the above referenced unapproved life rafts, the means used to identify the source, and the action taken to remove the life rafts from aircraft and stock.

This notice originated from the Fort Lauderdale FSDO, 1050 Lee Wagener Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, FL 33315, (954) 3567520, ext. 126, fax (956) 3567531 and was published through the FAA Suspected Unapproved Parts Program Office, AVR-20, (703) 6610581, fax (703) 6610113.

For additional information related to this subject on Equipped To Survive (tm) see "Aviation Life Raft Reviews."

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Publisher and Editor: Doug Ritter
Email: Doug Ritter
URL: http://www.equipped.org/sup97-321.htm
Revision: 01 October 2, 1998

Email to: [email protected]