The concern sheet
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Revised 1/24/02 Airworthiness Concern Sheet
Roy Boffo Senior Systems Engineer Chicago Aircraft Certification Office Systems & Flight Test Branch 2300 E. Devon Ave.
Des Plaines, IL 60018 847-294-7564 Roy.Boffo@faa.gov Make, Model, Series, Serial No.:
Cirrus Design SR22 Serials 2334, 2420, 2438 thru 2749
Reason for Airworthiness Concern:
Possible serious or fatal injury due to a frozen aileron pulley or cable Date: November 1, 2007 FAA Description of Airworthiness Concern (Who, What, Where, When, How? Attachments: RA and appropriate data)
A Cirrus production flight test (PFT) airplane was sitting outside in the rain for at least one day before flight. Takeoff was made through light rain. After take-off, the light rain persisted to VFR at 4000 feet. After climb to 17,500 ft and OAT of -4°C with autopilot engaged, the pilot noted that the airplane heading was drifting to the left. The pilot disengaged the autopilot and then noted that the aileron control was stuck. The pilot was unable to move aileron control without considerable force using two hands. When the control was forced, it would then stick in the new position. After a descent to an altitude with OAT above freezing, the controls freed and became normal. An ILS return to the airport was completed and landing made without further incident. The pitch control was not affected.
PFT pilots noted a similar condition on two other SR22 aircraft; however, the flight controls did not bind but became “stiff.” The condition occurred on a total of 3 aircraft out of 16 aircraft flown over a two day period. CDC has issued Service Bulletin 2X-57-08 to address this problem.
Request for Information (Proposed Alternate Inspection/Repair Procedures, Cost Impact, Etc. Note: Any comments or replies to the FAA need to be as specific as possible. Please provide specific examples to illustrate your comments/concerns.):
Please review the attached Service Advisory and provide us with additional information, which may affect the airworthiness action taken by the FAA. This includes comments regarding the CDC service advisory and any additional findings, accidents/incidents, or service difficulties pertaining to this airworthiness concern.
Attachments: *SDR(s) *A/IDS *SA(s) *SAIB *FAASR/*NTSBSR *AD *AMOC *RA
Notification: FAA *AOPA *EAA Type Club *TC Holder O t h e r :
Response Requested by 11/21/07 (Space Bar Adds “X” to Check Boxes) *Service Difficulty Reports (SDRs); Accident/Incident Data System (A/IDS); Service Bulletin (SB); Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB);
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)/National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Safety Recommendation (FAASR/NTSBSR); Airworthiness Directive (AD); Alternate Method of Compliance (AMOC); Risk Assessment (RA); Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association (AOPA);
Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA); Type Certificate (TC) This Airworthiness Concern Sheet (ACS) is intended as a means for FAA Aviation Safety Engineers to coordinate airworthiness concerns with aircraft owner/operators through associations and type clubs. At this time, the FAA has not made a determination on what type of corrective action (if any) should be taken. The resolution of this airworthiness concern could involve an AD action or an SAIB, or the FAA could determine that no action is needed at this time. The FAA’s final determination will depend in part on the information received in response to this ACS.
The FAA endorses dissemination of this technical information to all manufacturers and requests association and type clubs comments