Signs of the use of counterfeit rubber were found at the Russian Helicopters plant
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At the Kazan Helicopter Plant (part of the Russian Helicopters holding company of the Rostec state corporation), facts of using rubber with fake quality certificates were revealed. Gaskets for the fuel system of Ansat and Mi-8 helicopters were made from this rubber. This is reported “News” with reference to airworthiness directives issued by the Federal Air Transport Agency in late October and early November.
After revealing facts of the use of counterfeit rubber, the Federal Air Transport Agency, for flight safety reasons, temporarily suspended the operation of 37 helicopters manufactured in 2022 – 27 Mi-8MTV-1 (civil version) and 10 Ansat-SK (modification for air ambulance). The press service of the department clarified to the publication that the developers and manufacturers of helicopters, the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Emergency Situations were also notified of the suspension of operation.
According to the Rostec state corporation, the supplier of counterfeit rubber plates for gaskets at the Kazan Helicopter Plant was selected during procurement procedures. A source close to the enterprise told Izvestia that the counterfeit material was delivered to the plant back in August 2022. The material defect was identified by the factory quality service. After this, the products were placed in a defect isolation room, and the products used before testing were removed from production shops and replaced on finished helicopters, Rostec added. A criminal case has been opened regarding fraud committed by a group of persons by prior conspiracy (Part 2 of Article 159 of the Criminal Code), a source told Izvestia.
Rubber gaskets are used on helicopters to seal joints and prevent fuel leakage. The airworthiness directives indicate that the use of gaskets made of low-quality rubber could lead to their destruction into small fragments and clogging of pumps and filters of helicopter engines. Contamination of the fuel system could cause the engines to shut down during flight.
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