Pilot Debrief

CIRRUS SR22 - NO SERIES near Maui, PO — 2015-01-26

Final reportWPR15LA089
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Date
2015-01-26
Location
Maui, PO, USA
Aircraft
CIRRUS SR22 - NO SERIES
Registration
N7YT
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Cruise

Probable cause

The pilot's inability to transfer fuel from the aft auxiliary fuel tank to the main fuel tanks for reasons that could not be determined because the airplane was ditched and not recovered.

NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that, during the transpacific flight, he was unable to transfer fuel from the aft auxiliary fuel tank to the main fuel tanks. Despite multiple attempts to troubleshoot the fuel system issue, he was unable to correct the situation. After transferring fuel from the forward auxiliary fuel tank to both main fuel tanks, he estimated that there was only enough fuel in the main tanks to reach within about 200 miles of land, so he decided to divert to a nearby cruise ship. Once the airplane was in the immediate vicinity of the cruise ship, the pilot activated the airplane's parachute system, the parachute deployed, and the airplane descended under the canopy into the ocean. The pilot immediately exited the airplane and inflated an emergency life raft; he was recovered from the water a short time later. The airplane subsequently became submerged in the water and was not recovered. The reason for the pilot's inability to transfer fuel from the aft auxiliary fuel tank to the main fuel tanks could not be determined.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Fuel management
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have diverted earlier after initial fuel transfer failure.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • 1 docket document
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents1

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