Airworthiness Directives; Cirrus Design Corporation Airplanes

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Cirrus Design Corporation (Cirrus) Model SF50 airplanes. This AD was prompted by reports of an accident and an incident due to uncommanded activation of the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS) autopilot mode while in flight. This AD requires booting the avionics in configuration mode, inhibiting the CAPS autopilot, fabricating and installing information placards, revising the existing airplane flight manual (AFM) for your airplane, and revising the airworthiness limitations section (ALS) of the existing airplane maintenance manual (AMM) or Instructions for Continued Airworthiness (ICA) and your existing approved maintenance or inspection program, as applicable. For certain airplanes, this AD also requires modifying the wiring to remove the CAPS power timer functionality. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.