The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released an Aviation Investigation Report (AIR-22-04) urging Cirrus Aircraft and the FAA to address safety issues identified in investigations involving Cirrus SR22Ts in which
an excessive fuel condition led to a loss of engine power during the takeoff climb.
“We investigated six accidents involving Cirrus SR22T airplanes,” said NTSB officials when releasing the report in April 2022. “In five of them, we were able to retrieve fuel flow data from the recoverable data modules (RDM) installed in the accident airplanes. In each case, the fuel flow data indicated an excessively high fuel flow (ranging from 42.2 to 50.1 gallons per hour) to the engine just before the loss of power.”
What You Should Know
NTSB officials say their examination into these accidents “suggests a lack of system safety assessments to identify the cause and reduce the potential of the hazard from occurring.”
NTSB officials concluded the Cirrus SR22T can experience a loss of engine power due to excessive fuel flow — and some causes of excessive fuel flow during takeoff and climb may not have been identified and mitigated.
The NTSB recommends that Cirrus Aircraft conduct a functional hazard assessment (FHA) to identify the causes, effects, and severity levels for the SR22T excessive fuel flow hazard condition during takeoff and climb phases of flight and, based on the FHA, update the system safety assessment.
“Until the FAA requires implementation of appropriate mitigating actions to prevent the loss of engine power due to excessive fuel flow in the SR22T, additional accidents may occur due to this hazard,” NTSB officials warn.
What You Can Do
NTSB officials encourage all pilots with Cirrus Aircraft to read the new AIR, which includes the circumstances of the six accidents investigated by the NTSB.
They could fit a restrict-or in the boost control hose/pipe and a atmospheric pressure capsole in the control system to compensate for the reduction in air pressure… the back pressure reduces with altitude, maybe , as aircraft ascends pressure drops remember so danger turbo can over speed slightly temporarily…….sure drops remember .
Over fueling, Bogging down …
Isnt there a Boost max blow off valve ? like on Lycoming 6 potters?
Would-a thought there`d be some kind of fuel cut if the boost gets too high out of operating limits…as a safety measure.
I have a 2021 series SR 22T
I have noticed on takeoff that my manifold pressure exceeds 36 inches sometimes up to 42 inches. I watch on takeoff and as it exceeds 36 inches Apple the power back accordingly. Please let me know if there’s any other way we can protect ourselves from this excess a fuel flow issue. John Ferguson Cirrus N92JF
John,
Find an A&P that knows that engine , TSIO-550 K , and have him adjust the waste gate and slope controller to the TCM spec in the service manual.
Your aircraft is only 1 year old and should have been properly setup by Cirrus.
It may still be under the Cirrus warranty.
These pilots were operating beyond the engine and aircraft specified limits of manifold pressure and fuel flow.!
So, did the NTSB review the maintenance records to see if/ when the waste gate the slope controller were last checked and adjusted ?
These are not new aircraft, so an A&P had to have done a number of annuals, and apparently not checked the engine performance specs.
Then there are the pilots who did not operate the engine within the spec. limits; using high boost inappropriately, allowing the manifold pressure and fuel flow to exceed the operating limits .
Cirrus issued a number of SA’s on this, but some didn’t get the message, and died.!
Yikes! Worthy of immediate attention…