Pilot Debrief

CIRRUS SR22 near Meeker, CO — 2017-01-07

Final reportCEN17LA073
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Date
2017-01-07
Location
Meeker, CO, USA
Aircraft
CIRRUS SR22
Registration
N5VK
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Climb

Probable cause

A partial loss of engine power due to fuel contamination from an undetermined source.

NTSB narrative

The private pilot stated that, shortly after reaching cruise altitude on the cross-country flight, engine cylinder head and exhaust gas temperatures displayed on the multifunction display (MFD) became erratic. Since the pilot had previously experienced trouble with the MFD sensory input unit, he reverted to monitoring the analog gauges, which were registering normal temperatures. Shortly thereafter, the engine backfired and the pilot sensed a partial loss of engine power, followed by a further decrease in power. Unable to maintain altitude and realizing he would be unable to reach any nearby airports, the pilot made a forced landing on a snow-covered plateau, resulting in substantial damage. Postaccident examination of the airframe revealed large quantities of water in the wing tanks, which likely accumulated during the time the airplane was on the mountain before recovery and during storage. The airframe fuel gascolator contained a large amount of debris and rust. The gascolator was replaced with a surrogate unit, and a subsequent test run of the engine revealed no anomalies. It is likely that the loss of engine power was the result of fuel contamination; however, the source of the contaminants could not be determined, because fuel samples from the departure airport contained no contaminants.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Engine power loss
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have opted to land earlier instead of climbing into high terrain.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Photos
  • 8 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents8

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