The FAA this week issued a new Airworthiness Directive affecting some Cirrus SR22 airplanes equipped with an anti-ice system approved for flight into known icing. Operators must inspect the compression fittings on the anti-ice fluid distribution lines to be sure they were installed correctly. The AD was issued on Monday without any preliminary notice after an anti-ice fluid line separation was found during a quality-assurance inspection at the Cirrus Design manufacturing plant. The separation could result in a total loss of ice-protection fluid supply to the protected surfaces. That loss would allow ice to build on the airplane and degrade handling qualities and performance, the FAA said. Any fittings that were not properly installed must be repaired, the FAA said. The AD takes effect Dec. 21. Comments may be filed until Jan. 28. Cirrus had issued a service bulletin in November advising owners to inspect and repair the fittings.
If the fittings are not inspected and repaired by Dec. 21, the aircraft must carry a placard on the instrument panel that reads, “Flight into known or forecast icing prohibited,” the FAA said.
