There is no shortage of stories of counterfeit parts being used but the problem is how do they fix it. I remember reading about them 40 years ago with US Air Force substitution of things as simple as nuts and bolts
The price difference is so huge of course there is a market for cheap stuff
Partnair Flight 394 was a chartered flight which crashed on 8 September 1989 off the coast of Denmark 18 km north of Hirtshals. All 50 passengers and 5 crew members on board the aircraft died, and it is the deadliest aviation disaster in Denmark. The crash was caused by use of counterfeit aircraft parts in repairs and maintenance.
Mr Philip Butterworth-Hayes, editor of London-based Jane's Aircraft Component Manufacture, said the industry realised around this time that counterfeit aircraft parts were a serious problem. He said there were two central facets to the problem.
"The first is criminals who become involved in bogus spare parts because the mark-up price on an aircraft part can be higher than crack cocaine. It can cost them £1 to manufacture it and then they can sell it on for £100.
