SAIB CE-03-43

SPECIAL

AIRWORTHINESS

INFORMATION

BULLETIN

Aircraft Certification Service Washington, DC

U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Aviation Administration

No. CE-03-43 June 27, 2003 We post SAIBs on the internet at www.airweb.faa.gov This is information only. Recommendations are not mandatory.

Introduction This Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) informs you, an owner or operator of Cessna model 100, 200, 300, and 400 series airplanes, that a safety concern exists regarding resistance and capacitance type fuel gauging.

Background Cessna has expressed concern regarding airworthiness issues with resistance type fuel quantity systems on their general aviation single and multiple engine aircraft products. They recommend periodic calibration checks of both the empty and full positions of the gauging system.

Cessna released two Service Bulletins, SEB99-18, dated November 1, 1999, and revised April 2001, addressing single engine models and MEB99-21, rev 1, dated May 7, 2001, for multiple engine models, to address fuel quantity indicating concerns on the Stewart Warner resistance type system. A review of Service Difficulty Reports reveals that inaccurate fuel quantity indications may have caused some accidents and incidents.

We have received safety recommendations from Flight Standards concerning the accuracy of fuel quantity indication systems on Cessna single engine airplanes.

Recommendation Due to similar operational and design characteristics of both the resistance and capacitive type fuel quantity indicating systems installed on both Cessna single and multiple engine airplane products, we recommend you accomplish the following within the next 100 hours of operation or at the next annual inspection:

• Drain fuel tanks

• Level the aircraft

• Add back the appropriate unusable fuel

• Calibrate fuel quantity gauges for “0” or “empty” indication

Refer to the appropriate Cessna maintenance/service manual or Instructions for Continued Airworthiness for specific instructions on performing each of these procedures. You should make a logbook entry indicating the work performed by FAA certified personnel to return the aircraft to service. You can find additional instructions in Cessna Service Bulletins SEB99-18 and MEB99-21.

You should repeat this calibration procedure at 5-year intervals or anytime the fuel gauging system components are disturbed or any time accuracy is suspect.

For Further Information Contact:

Paul Pendleton, Aerospace Engineer, FAA Aircraft Certification Office, 1801 Airport Road, Room 100, Wichita, Kansas 67209; phone: (316) 946-4143; email: paul.pendleton@faa.gov

Barry Ballenger, Continued Operational Safety, Small Airplane Directorate, 901 Locust, Room 301, Kansas City, Missouri 64106; phone: (816) 329-4152; email: barry.ballenger@faa.gov 2