{"id":"F2006L01031","name":"AD/CON/86 - ECI Cylinder Assemblies","slug":"ad-con-86-eci-cylinder-assemblies","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":58312,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2006L01031-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-02","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"Teledyne Continental Motors Piston Engin","sectionType":"division","heading":"Teledyne Continental Motors Piston Engines","content":"### Teledyne Continental Motors Piston Engines\n\n| AD/CON/86 | ECI Cylinder Assemblies | 5/2006 |\n| --------- | ----------------------- | ------ |\n\n| Applicability: | Teledyne Continental Motors (TCM) model 520 and 550 series piston engines with certain Engine Components, Inc. (ECi) cylinders, part number (P/N) AEC631397, installed; andTCM TSIO-520-NB, -VB, and -WB engines that are modified by FAA supplemental type certificate (STC) SE4327SW, STC SE09104SC, or STC SE09261SC for operation at 325 HP or greater (also called RAM TSIO-520-NB, -VB, or -WB Series III, IV, and VII piston engines).                                                                                                                                     |\n| -------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |\n| Requirement:   | 1. Determine the serial number (S/N) of ECi P/N AEC631397 cylinders per FAA Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2004-08-10. If the SN is 1043 or lower, or if it is 7709 or higher, no further action is required.2. For cylinder serial numbers 1044 through 7708, refer to the FAA AD 2004-08-10 to determine if cylinders need to be replaced. Replace cylinders, if required by the provisions of FAA AD.Note 1: FAA Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2004-08-10 amendment 39-13579 refers.Note 2: ECi Mandatory Service Bulletin S.I. No. 04-1 also pertains to the subject of this AD. |\n| Compliance:    | 1. Unless already accomplished, within 50 hours time-in-service (TIS) or one month after the effective date of this AD, whichever occurs first.2. Before further flight.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |\n|                | This Airworthiness Directive becomes effective on 11 May 2006.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    |\n| Background:    | This AD results from reports of 34 failures of ECi cylinder head.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |\n\n|     | The requirements of this AD are aimed at preventing loss of engine power due to cracks in the cylinder head and possible engine failure caused by separation of a cylinder head. |\n| --- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |\n\n![](image.001.png)  \nJames Coyne  \nDelegate of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority\n\n17 March 2006","sortOrder":0},{"sectionNumber":"AD/CON/86","sectionType":"part","heading":"AD/CON/86","content":"## AD/CON/86","sortOrder":1},{"sectionNumber":"ECI Cylinder Assemblies","sectionType":"part","heading":"ECI Cylinder Assemblies","content":"## ECI Cylinder Assemblies","sortOrder":2},{"sectionNumber":"5/2006","sectionType":"part","heading":"5/2006","content":"## 5/2006","sortOrder":3}],"analysis":{"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"A positive credit balance is required for all requests, including BYOK, so fallback providers remain available. Add credits at https://vercel.com/d?to=%2F%5Bteam%5D%2F%7E%2Fai%3Fmodal%3Dtop-up to continue.","source":"analysis-cron"},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This AD stays within the original, narrow safety objective: identify ECi AEC631397 cylinders that are within a defined serial-number range associated with reported cylinder head failures and require follow-up per the FAA AD. It does not broaden the obligation beyond inspection and remedial action for the specified cylinders and affected engine installations; it implements and localises the FAA directive rather than expanding scope to unrelated parts or systems."},"complexity_factors":["Short, targeted instrument (few pages/lines) with narrow technical scope","Single defined part number (ECi P/N AEC631397) and two explicit S/N ranges (<=1043 or >=7709 = no action; 1044–7708 = refer to FAA AD)","Cross-reference dependency: requires consulting FAA AD 2004-08-10 (amendment 39-13579) for specific replacement criteria","Secondary cross-reference to ECi Mandatory Service Bulletin S.I. No. 04-1 for technical detail","Two compliance timeframes (within 50 hours TIS or one month; and 'before further flight' if replacement is required)","Applicability spans multiple engine models and three STCs, increasing the set of affected installations to check"],"plain_english_summary":"**What this directive does (mechanical effect):**\n\n- It orders owners/operators of certain Teledyne Continental Motors (TCM) 520 and 550 series piston engines, and certain TCM TSIO-520 engines modified to higher power via specified supplemental type certificates (STCs), to check the serial numbers of installed Engine Components, Inc. (ECi) cylinder assemblies, part number AEC631397 (Applicability).\n- If a cylinder's serial number (S/N) is 1043 or lower, or 7709 or higher, no further action is required. If a cylinder's S/N falls between 1044 and 7708, the operator must follow the instructions in FAA Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2004-08-10 to decide whether that cylinder must be replaced (Requirement; cross-reference to FAA AD 2004-08-10 and ECi Mandatory Service Bulletin S.I. No. 04-1).\n- Timing: unless already done, the inspection to determine serial numbers must occur within 50 hours time-in-service (TIS) or one month from this AD’s effective date (whichever is first). If FAA AD 2004-08-10 requires replacement, do that before the next flight (Compliance). The AD became effective 11 May 2006 (Compliance).\n\n**Who this affects:**\n\n- Private and commercial aircraft owners/operators and maintenance organisations who operate or maintain:\n  - TCM model 520 and 550 series piston engines with ECi cylinders P/N AEC631397 installed; and\n  - TCM TSIO-520-NB, -VB and -WB engines that have been modified under STC SE4327SW, SE09104SC or SE09261SC for operation at 325 HP or greater (also referenced as RAM TSIO-520 Series III, IV, VII).\n- Parts suppliers and repair stations who supply or service ECi AEC631397 cylinders.\n\n**Why it matters (safety objective and practical effect):**\n\n- Purpose-claim: the AD’s stated aim is to prevent loss of engine power and possible engine failure caused by cracks and separation of the ECi cylinder head (Background).\n- Mechanically, it does this by identifying batches of cylinders by serial number and requiring follow-up action (inspection/replacement) for the serial-number range tied to reported head failures.\n\n**How the measure changes behaviour and who pays:**\n\n- Aircraft operators must inspect cylinder serial numbers and, for affected serial ranges, comply with the FAA AD’s replacement or inspection schedule. Maintenance providers will carry out inspections and replacements as required.\n- Costs are borne by the aircraft owner/operator (inspection labour, any replacement cylinders, associated downtime). Maintenance organisations receive work but must allocate shop time and parts.\n\n**Implementation detail and cross-references:**\n\n- The AD does not itself list the replacement criteria for affected serial numbers; it directs operators to FAA AD 2004-08-10 (amendment 39-13579) and references ECi Mandatory Service Bulletin S.I. No. 04-1 for technical detail (Requirement, Note 1, Note 2).\n- The compliance regime includes two deadlines: (a) inspect serial numbers within 50 hours TIS or one month if not already done; (b) if replacement is required by FAA AD 2004-08-10, replace before further flight.\n\n**Trade-offs, compliance burden and implementation risks (concrete mechanisms):**\n\n- Direct costs: inspection labour; replacement cylinder parts and installation; aircraft downtime while work is done.\n- Operational impact: aircraft with affected cylinders in the problematic serial-number range could be grounded until replacement or inspection is completed, because replacements required by the FAA AD must be done before further flight.\n- Administrative burden: ensuring accurate S/N identification and traceability, especially where maintenance records are incomplete; operators must consult the FAA AD and ECi service bulletin to determine the correct remedial action for the affected serial-number range.\n- Market effects: maintenance shops and parts suppliers will see demand for inspections and replacement cylinders; ECi and distributors may face warranty/repair claims or demand for replacement parts.\n\n**Sections cited:** Applicability; Requirement (including Note 1 and Note 2); Compliance; Background.\n"},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This is a standard airworthiness directive with a narrow, specific safety purpose. It addresses a known defect in a specific part from a specific manufacturer installed on specific engine models. There is no indication of scope creep; the directive precisely targets the reported cylinder head failures without expanding into broader regulatory territory."},"complexity_factors":["Short, single-purpose directive with clear applicability table","Only 2 main requirements with straightforward serial number logic (below 1044, above 7708 = safe; 1044-7708 = check further)","Heavy reliance on external reference (FAA AD 2004-08-10) for actual replacement criteria — the 'complexity' is outsourced to the US regulation","Minimal defined terms (only standard aviation abbreviations like TIS, P/N, S/N, STC)","Simple binary compliance timeline (50 hours/1 month vs before further flight)","No nested exceptions or conditional logic beyond the serial number range check"],"plain_english_summary":"This CASA Airworthiness Directive requires owners/operators of TCM 520/550 engines and certain RAM‑modified TSIO‑520 variants fitted with ECi cylinder AEC631397 to inspect cylinder serial numbers and act per the FAA AD if they fall in the susceptible range. Compliance is required within 50 flight hours or one month. \n\nIt stems from 34 reported ECi cylinder head failures that can cause sudden power loss or engine failure, so timely checks and replacements prevent catastrophic accidents."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/ad-con-86-eci-cylinder-assemblies","history":"/api/acts/ad-con-86-eci-cylinder-assemblies/history","analysis":"/api/acts/ad-con-86-eci-cylinder-assemblies/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/ad-con-86-eci-cylinder-assemblies/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/ad-con-86-eci-cylinder-assemblies/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/ad-con-86-eci-cylinder-assemblies/documents"}}