Continental published a service bulletin for the engines and models affected by the grounding last week. A concern was risen over the crankshaft assembly for certain models built between June 1, 2021 and Feb. 7, 2023. Continental said that it is possible some of the counterweight rings were not sealed properly.
The problem was identified in aircraft equipped with Continental 360, 470, 520 and 550 series engines and replacement crankshaft assemblies.
RELATED STORY:
Cirrus grounds SR22 and SR22T fleet
The service bulletin identified the engine concern that caused Cirrus to ground its fleet of SR22 and SR22Ts built between the affected dates. The bulletin noted that engines with less than 200 operating hours should get immediate inspections, only adding an accepted five flight hours to move to a maintenance facility with the minimum essential crew, if necessary. Engines that have over 200 hours do not need to take any further action.
This bulletin affects new and rebuilt Continental Aerospace Technologies aviation gasoline engines or crankshaft assemblies with specific serial numbers, listed in Appendix one and two. Continental had discovered the potential assembly error that affected approximately 2000 crankshaft assemblies. There was a possibility that one or more counterweight retaining rings were not properly sealed in the crankshaft during engine operation, which could result in catastrophic engine damage.
Continental said only the listed serial numbers are subject to inspection and not required for engines and crankshaft assemblies not included. The bulletin includes information on how to obtain reimbursement for work done if any non-conformity is found.
When the concern was relayed to Cirrus, the company notified applicable owners that there was an engine concern and the two companies would work on determining the scope of the issue and find out how many aircraft were affected.
GlobalAir.com had reached out to both Cirrus and Continental for comment. Cirrus said the decision was made in an abundance of caution. Continental said that there is also a dedicated support group that can be reached at 1-251-411-4460 or [email protected] to answer any questions related to the service bulletin (MSB23).
Contact
Name: Haley Davoren
, Digital Content Manager
Company: GlobalAir.com
Website: https://globalair.com
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 502-456-3934
©2023 GlobalAir.com, Haley Davoren. All rights reserved.
Recent Comments