Cirrus SR20 / SR22 Nose Landing Gear SAIB CE-09-46

SPECIAL AIRWORTHINESS INFORMATION BULLETIN
SAIB: CE-09-46
SUBJ: Landing Gear, Nose
Date: July 31, 2009
This is information only. Recommendations aren’t mandatory.
Introduction
This Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin is being issued to alert owners and installers to an airworthiness concern regarding possible nose landing gear cracking on Cirrus Design Corporation
(Cirrus) Models SR20 and SR22 airplanes.
The airworthiness concern is not an unsafe condition that would warrant airworthiness directive (AD) action under Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) Part 39.
Background
The FAA is aware of two nose gear collapses that have occurred in Model SR20 airplanes used for training. Further examination of SR20 training airplanes has revealed cracking in the upper section of
the nose gear assembly starting in the fillet weld between the top gusset plate and the attach point arms and moving downward through the attach point arms. On Model SR22 airplanes, no nose gear collapses have occurred to date (the nose gear design on the Model SR22 is significantly heavier and slightly different than the Model SR20). However, cracks have been found in the area of the cross tube weld and the gusset plate on the Model SR22.

SAIB Attached