In the enthusiasm to condemn what may be erratic action by CASA, I'm surprised at how readily the seriousness of the underlying problem has been put aside. First, the high failure rate of Jab engines relative to alternatives has been an open secret for years. And there are many reports on this site and elsewhere of the manufacturer being slow or unwilling to respond to the problem(s). Second, RA Aus has clearly failed to be effective in addressing the issues with the manufacturer, if it ever tried. To compound that, its failure to publish openly detailed comparative statistics added to the obscuration of the engine(s) issues.
Jabiru is not lily white here I agree and they have had plenty of opportunities to correct the situation, however the cat is out of the bag and CASA et al have stood by and let the situation mushroom for way to long. Where are the figures for Rotax two stroke failures? Shall we ban that engine that was once the mainstay of RAA training? The whole philosophy of recreational flying is doing it cheaper with a different risk profile. CASA should act in the interest of the owners, operators and subcontractors who will lose money, killing Jabiru isn't the answer, trying to cajole them with carrot an stick threats (in private)whilst preserving and improving what structure has been created, should be the preferred tactic. The lack of concrete stats on the subject lies in the regulation shortcomings of both RAA and CASA. There will be plenty of mud about and some of it should stick.