I have just examined about the 10th Icon A5 I have had a chance to get close to, and am very disturbed by a placard which appears to render the airplane unairworthy;

At the back of the engine compartment, between the gear reduction unit and the prop, there is a plastic cooling fan.

Molded into this fan are the words "This Side Toward Engine" on the side which is NOT toward the engine.

Either the fan is incorrectly installed or incorrectly placarded. Some time ago, at an Icon party at SMO, I asked Icon representatives, including a gentleman who identified himself as an Icon A&P mechanic about this.

I was told that as a pilot I should ignore all placards, which I am not about to do, then that it "didn't apply" to this airplane, then that even if the fan was incorrectly installed, it did affect airworthiness.

How is everyone missing this, which is apparently on all Icon A5's?

It would seem to me to render the plane unairworthy.

Unless you clearly understood the purpose of the fan and why it was installed, you cannot make a determination of airworthiness.

Most fans can reverse direction by changing the polarity. ICON may have sourced the fan that was designed for another aircraft (or several) and installed it backwards to provide better clearance or easier access to the wiring housing and reversed the polarity.

Unless it’s listed on the minimum equipment list, or directly impacts a critical component of the engine, there’s a good chance that it does not impact airworthiness.

It seems like an easy fix, a little research, verify fan induces air the intended direction, install new placard.

Any operation against installed placards can be a violation, weather an airworthiness or operations placard. I have to agree, because it is so clearly written many places, and there are multiple alternatives to 'just ignore it'.

"Most fans can reverse direction by changing the polarity. ICON may have sourced the fan that was designed for another aircraft (or several) and installed it backwards to provide better clearance or easier access to the wiring housing and reversed the polarity."

Most DC motors, fans, yes. Field repair easier, better, available... yes, an easy reason.

Y’all’re missing the point.

It doesn’t matter if the fan works right, serves the purpose intended, or not. The point is that legally the fan is installed backward, which renders the airplane unairworthy, just as installing a vacuum pump or seat or wheel backward would. Would it fly that way? It doesn’t matter, the FSDO would tell you that it’s not legally airworthy, and that’s the end of it.

Yes, I’d say that based on the description all of those planes are unairworthy in that condition. Why has it not been caught?

Exactly.....and who would let it go out the door like that anyway? From a quality control/ marketing standpoint, that’s a botch.

Someone who either didn’t understand the mechanical importance of it, or who knew that it was placarded incorrectly and didn’t understand the legal implication. Either way it’s incompetence, and either way Icon apparently is doubling down on it: “I was told that as a pilot I should ignore all placards”. Really Icon? Actually, as the pilot I’m required to read and adhere to all placards, and you should know it.

Just a guess, but that fan is probably used in other applications where the placard matches the rotation. The placard is likely from the fan mfr, not from Icon.

Look in the A5 maint manual in chapter 16, there is a picture of the propeller/fan/hub assembly, it shows which direction the fan goes. If the aircraft matches the picture then I would consider it airworthy.

It is a mechanical fan, not electric.

If I recall correctly Icon A5 is an LSA certified under light sport aircraft rules, which are very different from a Bonanza or a Cirrus.

This might be allowed under S-LSA rules if the manufacturer deems the install “correct” and it doesn’t violate consensus ASTM standards.

John, I totally the point you are making, and it makes complete sense. You’d really have to question that.

Is it one of the US built A5s or was it one of the Mexican A5s?

From the Belt & Suspenders club, I would:

- Check the A5 service manual. If it says that this installation is correct, I would carry the document in the plane.

- If the service manual is moot, I would ask Icon to put it in writing and amend the service manual.

- I would file a SDR

- I would probably file a ASRS on every flight, just in case Inspector Gadget happens to notice and pursue a violation. Perhaps it will save the pleasure of a sanction.

Did you approach Icon about this? Not the hearsay of the A&P but the company instead of bashing them online? Maybe someone from engineering? Show us some pictures.

I would say that if the fan is installed as shown on Icon engineering drawings, it is airworthy and legal. Should Icon remove or obliterate the lettering molded into the unit by the fan manufacturer, so as not to cause undo excitement among those unacquainted with Icon’s engineering approvals? Yes they should, in order to avoid confusion. Especially when the lettering in question is easily visible.
I know of a check valve in a Lear that has lettering stating “This Side Up”. There is not a single Lear flying which has that lettering up. That’s the way Lear designed it.