A new airworthiness concern sheet (ACS) from the FAA is focusing on cracked throttle levers aboard the Cirrus SR line of piston singles—the SR20, SR22 and SR22T—and asks operators to inspect their in-service aircraft and then provide to the agency information on any damage observed. The August 16, 2024, ACS lists this as an “emergency” for which it requests responses within 10 days. Obviously, that deadline has come and gone, but the agency is likely to be interested in any information submitted on this problem.
According to the ACS, “The FAA recently received a report of a power lever failure on a Cirrus SR20 airplane. While advancing to full throttle in preparation for takeoff, the power lever sheared and the pilot quickly cut fuel to the aircraft and aborted the takeoff. The fleet operator subsequently inspected the remainder of their aircraft and found cracks in 24 of the levers through visual and dye penetrant inspections. Time in service for the fleet ranged from 2900 to 3900 hours. The aircraft are utilized in a training environment and contained an average of 12,000 to 15,000 landings. The failure and cracks were noted to occur at the region of the lever that has the smallest cross section.”
