Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Maintenance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Other / Unknown
General Flight Cancelled / Delayed; General Maintenance Action
Aircraft; Human Factors
Issue: Serious potential risk of engine failure on the Cirrus SR22T post Continental Service Bulletin (CSB). Maintenance work by Cirrus certified Aircraft Repair Station X in ZZZZ. After a Cirrus Ballistic Recovery System (BRS) [parachute] incident in USA; Continental [Engines] issued CSB 15-7A to replace an Oil Cooler Cross fitting; since one had fractured in the USA incident resulting in a total engine failure. The replacement part from Continental was replaced by Aircraft Repair Station X in November 2015 at ZZZZ where the plane was in a Hangar. On a flight four days later from ZZZZ to ZZZZ1; I flew at F210 and flight time was 1-hour 10-minutes with most of the flight at night. Night landing. After landing I noticed a significant oil leak with oil on the underside of the aircraft and on the bottom six inches of the tail. Repair Station X Engineer visited the plane and found that the [Oil Cooler Cross fitting] replacement part was loose and leaking; this being the cause of the oil leak. On landing my oil level had gone from six to two. Repair Station X say the leak was just seepage and the oil was 5.5 when the engine was cold. This is not correct. The Continental Service Bulletin (CSB) says that the part cannot be retightened which is what they have done.Discussions with Cirrus Representative from Cirrus USA and Representative from Continental Engines have advised me that the failure was with Aircraft Repair Station X not installing the replacement part correctly and according to the CSB. They did not want to make any changes and after my demands to replace all the components they have now agreed to do so. Both Continental and Cirrus have confirmed that I was very likely to have had a total engine failure with a BRS [parachute] pull or emergency landing at night if flight had continued for longer. Overall this was a major failure post workshop; for a CSB that failed. Repair Station X denies any failures and do not want this episode reported. I am concerned that another Cirrus SR22T aircraft will have a failure and an emergency landing.
Reporter stated he has a Continental IO-550-K Engine in his Cirrus SR22T aircraft. His report was about the first incident where a new Inter Cooler; oil cooler Cross fitting was installed by certified Repair Station X. After his first flight following the cross fitting replacement; he noticed that a substantial amount of oil had leaked from the engine compartment that ran under the belly and tail. After that incident; Repair Station X did in fact retightened the original; improperly installed; failed new fitting that had loosened up causing the excessive oil leak. He believes the reinstallation and retightening of that same failed part was not an approved method. But Repair Station X insisted that the procedure was acceptable. Reporter stated that on another one hour flight following the retightening of the fitting; his Oil Quantity had again dropped from six to two quarts and the engine was quite hot. Oil was everywhere on the bottom of the fuselage and tail. After that second incident; he hired the services of another Aircraft Repair Station (Repair Station Y); that came out to his ZZZZ location and installed new parts with an old type sealant originally used by Continental. No further issues since then.  He was later informed by Repair Station Y that the torque applied to the Oil Cooler cross fitting mounting hardware by Repair Station X was not high enough and the Red sealant applied to the fitting per the Continental Service Bulletin (CSB) had not been allowed to cure for the required 72-hours before starting the engine. Repair Station X had started-up the engine right after retightening the fitting. Continental has since gone back to the old type sealant previously used on the cross fitting installation. Reporter stated that his primary concern was about the improper maintenance practices at Repair Station X during replacement of the Inter Cooler; oil cooler cross fitting that could have easily ended up with his having had an inflight engine failure in crosswinds where he would not have been able to deploy the Cirrus parachute. He believes the Repair Station should be investigated and does not want to see other Cirrus operators having the same experience.
Pilot of a Cirrus SR22T aircraft reports about the improper maintenance practices of a certified Aircraft Repair Station that contributed to an excessive oil loss from his Continental IO-550-K Engine. Repair Station had twice failed to follow procedures in Continental Service Bulletin (CSB) 15-7A for replacement of an Inter Cooler; oil cooler cross fitting.