FAA Issues AD on ECi Titan Cylinders

Following 45 failures of ECi "Titan" cylinders on Lycoming 320, 360 and 540-Series engines, the FAA has issued an airworthiness directive. The AD calls for repetitive inspections and compression tests every 50 hours of operation. It affects an estimated 13,000 cylinders fleet wide. Effective October 20, the AD requires visual inspections to look for cracking in the area where the cylinder barrels meet the heads. ECi's warranty includes a buy-back program for the affected cylinders, and the company is also offering details of an exchange plan on its website at eci2fly.com.