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On Wednesday, Cirrus grounded its fleet of SR22 and SR22Ts built between June 1, 2021, and Feb. 7, 2023, due to an issue with the engines. The engine issue was identified by the installer, Continental Aerospace Technologies, and owners were notified the same day. About 700 aircraft were affected and the FAA is currently investigating.
A notice to owners was sent out letting Cirrus aircraft owners that Continental would have an upcoming service bulletin that may include the SR22 and SR22T. Cirrus said work was being done with Continental to determine the scope of the issue and how many aircraft were affected.
The notice affects all operators including aircraft in production, ferry flights, training flights, delivery flights and demonstration flights. All customer deliveries for the two aircraft will be paused until further notice. Cirrus noted that the SR20 aircraft, along with any SR22s and SR22Ts that were made before June 1, 2021, can continue to operate without restriction.
The AOPA said they had reached out to a Cirrus dealer who said the issue involves counterweights installed in Continental 550 series engines, but it has not led to engine failure.
Cirrus said in the notice that Continental would issue a bulletin in the near future detailing the specific range of affected aircraft and Cirrus would send a Cirrus Aircraft Service Advisory notification.RELATED STORY:FAA wants feedback on whether fixes for Continental 500-series engines worked
On Oct. 25, 2022, the FAA requested public feedback on the Airworthiness Directive (AD) issued in August 2020, regarding the fracture of cross-flow cylinder assemblies in some Continental 500-series engines. The concern sheet stated that the agency was concerned that the corrective action in the AD did not fix the issue.
"The FAA has received multiple reports from the field of cracked cylinders despite prior compliance," the bulletin said.
The organization sought feedback within 30 days of the issuance. It required a cylinder head inspection and removal of the casting material build-up on the radius edge of the identified cross-flow cylinder heads to reduce the risk for fracture initiation.
"The unsafe condition, if not addressed, could result in failure of the engine, in-flight shutdown, and forced landing," the original AD states.Cirrus SR22
It is unclear at this stage what the new engine-related issue is caused by or if it stems from this prior engine concern.
GlobalAir.com has reached out to Continental and Cirrus Aircraft for comment and as of Thursday afternoon has not heard back. Neither company has addressed the grounding on websites or social media and a service bulletin has not been posted.