Seventeen Gulfstreams Grounded

Seventeen Gulfstreams with recently overhauled Rolls-Royce Spey or Tay engines were grounded last month when a problem was discovered with the engines’ air control actuator (ACA), a key fuel control component. All the engines were being, or had recently been, overhauled by either Rolls-Royce or BizJet International. According to Gulfstream, three of the aircraft were already in scheduled maintenance at the time. The remaining operators were contacted by Gulfstream and Rolls-Royce or BizJet within 24 hours of the discovery and were advised not to fly their aircraft. Douglas Cribbes, senior vice president of aftermarket and customer service for Rolls-Royce, said both service providers had sent the ACAs to Goodrich in Montreal for overhaul, where they were somehow contaminated by peroxide. All aircraft have since been returned to service.