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Airworthiness Directive 2009-16-03

recurring
Official AD 2009-16-03 · FR doc E9-18220 · 2009-08-05 · reciprocating engine

Airworthiness Directives; Teledyne Continental Motors (TCM) IO-520, TSIO-520, and IO-550 Series Reciprocating Engines With Superior Air Parts, Inc. (SAP) Cylinder Assemblies Installed

What this AD requires

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain TCM IO-520, TSIO-520, and IO-550 series reciprocating engines, with certain SAP investment cast cylinder assemblies installed. This AD requires initial and repetitive inspections and compression tests to detect cracks in those cylinders with more than 750 flight hours (FH) time-in-service (TIS). This AD results from reports of cracks in the area of the exhaust valve and separation of cylinder heads from the barrels of SAP cylinder assemblies with certain part numbers. We are issuing this AD to prevent the separation of the cylinder head, which could result in immediate loss of engine power, possible structural damage to the engine, and possible fire in the engine compartment.

Repetitive inspection. Re-inspect. The next-due date/hours depend on this aircraft’s time in service — a records report computes it from the logbooks.

Which aircraft AD 2009-16-03 applies to

MakesTeledyne Continental Motors
ModelsIO-520-A, IO-520-B, IO-520-BA, IO-520-BB, IO-520-C, IO-520-CB, IO-520-D, IO-520-E, IO-520-F, IO-520-K, IO-520-L, IO-520-M, IO-520-MB, IO-550-A, IO-550-B, IO-550-C, IO-550-D, IO-520, TSIO-520, IO-550
Part-conditional — SA52000-A1, SA52000-A20P, SA52000-A21P, SA52000-A22P, SA52000-A23P, SA55000-A1, SA55000-A20P.

Applies only to engines with SAP investment cast cylinder assemblies, part numbers (P/Ns) SA52000-A1, SA52000-A20P, SA52000-A21P, SA52000-A22P, SA52000-A23P, SA55000-A1, or SA55000-A20P, installed. Note: the source Table 1 (Engine model / Aircraft manufacturer / Aircraft model designation) is truncated in the retrieved text, so TSIO-520 variant designations are not individually captured.

Whether AD 2009-16-03 actually applies to your aircraft (by serial and installed parts) and whether it’s already complied with comes from that aircraft’s records.

How AD compliance is recorded

A valid compliance record (14 CFR 43.9) states:

Method of compliance — The specific action taken (inspected, replaced, modified) and to what revision.
Date — When the work was done.
Aircraft time — Total time in service / tach at compliance — how recurring next-due is computed.
Signature & certificate — The A&P/IA who returned it to service, with certificate number.
Is AD 2009-16-03 complied with on your aircraft?

Tailplate reads a tail number’s logbooks and matches every applicable AD — including this one — to its compliance evidence, with recurring next-due dates computed.

Look up a tail number →Read the full directive (Federal Register)

Applicability is derived from the FAA directive corpus and is advisory, not a legal airworthiness determination. Compliance is established only from an aircraft’s actual records.