Pilot Debrief

CIRRUS DESIGN CORP SR22 near Corydon, IA — 2017-07-09

Final reportCEN17LA263
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Date
2017-07-09
Location
Corydon, IA, USA
Aircraft
CIRRUS DESIGN CORP SR22
Registration
N929DE
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Serious
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Initial climb

Probable cause

A total loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination of the engine and airframe did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.

NTSB narrative

Before takeoff, the private pilot completed an engine run-up and noted no anomalies. However, witnesses and the passenger described the engine as "pinging," "popping," and "skipping a beat" during the takeoff roll and shortly after takeoff. The pilot turned the airplane on course toward the destination when the "engine started sputtering and died." The pilot attempted an engine restart by turning on the fuel boost pump, switching fuel tanks, checking the mixture lever, and cycling the magneto switch; he was unable to restart the engine. Due to the low altitude at the time of the loss of engine power, the pilot did not deploy the airframe parachute system and instead performed a forced landing to a wooded area. Damage to the crankshaft prevented a functional test of the engine; however, a teardown examination revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Engine power loss
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have aborted takeoff when engine started sputtering.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • ADS-B / radar
  • Photos
  • 13 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents13

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