Pilot Debrief

CIRRUS DESIGN CORP SR22T near Carrollton, TX — 2011-10-24

Final reportCEN12FA037
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Date
2011-10-24
Location
Carrollton, TX, USA
Aircraft
CIRRUS DESIGN CORP SR22T
Registration
N227TX
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Fatal
Fatalities
1
Phase of flight
Initial climb

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to adequately preflight the airplane prior to departure, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.

NTSB narrative

Prior to the flight, the pilot did not visually verify the fuel level in the tanks during his preflight and departed with low fuel alerts on his flight displays. About 10 minutes into the flight, the pilot reported to an air traffic controller that the engine was running rough and that he needed to return to his departure airport. During a second instrument approach, the engine lost power, and the pilot attempted a forced landing to a field. The airplane impacted terrain, the right wing separated, and the airplane came to rest on its right side. No evidence of fuel or fuel spillage was observed at the accident site. According to the pilot, the management company did not fuel the airplane as he had requested. An examination and operational test of the engine was performed. No defects in engine operation were detected, and the engine produced full rated power during the test.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Fuel management
First missed decision gate
Pilot should have declared an emergency earlier due to engine roughness.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • ATC audio
  • ADS-B / radar
  • Photos
  • 29 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents29

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