The pilot departed Shelter Cove Airport (0Q5) in California, with an intended destination of Santa Rosa, California.
As the Cirrus SR22 was climbing through 2,600 feet mean sea level (MSL), the engine sputtered and lost total power. The pilot switched fuel tanks, activated the electric boost pump, and manipulated the mixture and throttle controls to try to restore engine power.
Unable to restore engine power, he deployed the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS). The airplane descended under parachute canopy into densely tree-covered terrain near Whitethorn, California. The airplane hit tree limbs, then fell from the trees and hit the ground inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and empennage.
The pilot and one passenger sustained minor injuries, while the other passenger was not injured.
The pilot told investigators that he had not flown the airplane frequently in the months leading up to the accident. On the day of the accident he conducted a preflight inspection of the airplane, including a visual inspection of the fuel level, and determined there was sufficient fuel on board for the flight. However, he did not recall if a fuel sample was taken.
According to the aircraft recovery personnel, fuel was observed leaking from the airplane. About 26 gallons of fuel was recovered from the left wing and no fuel was recovered from the right wing.
The airplane was equipped with an Avidyne primary flight display (PFD) and a Avidyne multi-function flight display (MFD). The PFD and MFD were removed and sent to the NTSB Recorder Laboratory. The PFD unit displays aircraft parameter data including altitude, airspeed, attitude, vertical speed, and heading. The MFD can display comprehensive engine monitoring and performance data.
The downloaded data from the PFD and MFD indicated that at 13:17:42, the aircraft was climbing and was at a pressure altitude of 2,192 feet. The indicated airspeed was 126 knots, engine speed, 2,620 rpm, manifold pressure, 26.5 in Hg, and fuel flow 25.2 gph. At 13:18:00, the pressure altitude was 2,376 feet and indicated airspeed was 128 knots. Engine speed and fuel flow began rapidly reducing from 2,480 rpm and 20.2 gph. At 13:18:43, the last recorded MFD data indicated that the engine speed and fuel flow were 1,310 rpm and 0.4 gph.
Post-accident examination of the airplane established flight control continuity from all primary flight control surfaces to the left and right cockpit controls.
The firewall sustained damaged however, when the throttle, mixture, and propeller were manually manipulated from the cockpit, corresponding movement was noted at their respective attachment points.
A visual inspection of the fuel system and continuity was established from the wing roots throughout the fuel system to the fuel injectors. The airframe fuel strainer assembly was removed, dissembled, and was void of fluid and debris.
Examination of the recovered engine revealed that it was separated from the engine mount and nose gear assembly. No evidence of any external mechanical damage was observed to the engine crankcase. The oil sump remained attached to the engine and a 4-inch puncture was observed near the oil drain. The crankshaft was rotated by hand using the propeller hub. Rotational continuity was established throughout the engine and valvetrain. Thumb compression and suction were obtained on all six cylinders.
The fuel flow manifold remained attached to its respective mount and was undamaged. The fuel flow manifold assembly was removed and disassembled. The internal diaphragm and spring were undamaged. The fuel flow manifold was clear and free of debris.
However, a liquid substance was found in the fuel flow manifold. It was tested with SAR-GEL, a water-finding paste, and the liquid substance tested positive for water.
Probable Cause: A total loss of engine power due to water-contaminated fuel.
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This March 2024 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
I read many stories and watched video clips of airplane’s engine flame-out owing to fuel starvation or carb-icing and few others. During flight training, these situations are taught well if such things do happen.
01. Assume a glide speed.
02. Select a field or any open area or even a runway to to land.
03. Try re-starting the engine. IF UNABLE, then
04. secure all loose items. fasten your seat belts and shoulder harnesses.
05. Unlatch your cockpit doors.
06. Transmit ‘mayday’. and fly fly fly nicely and confidently to a touchdown.
Sometime the ground is soft and sometimes hard. But whatever the case maybe, I have seen many aircrafts flip over, banked too much and damaged the wings, fuselage etc. Why can they do exactly like how they practiced in school.
This guy looks like he’s an ‘airplane driver’ not a pilot.!!
Doesn’t sump the tanks.
Rechecks the oil level after wiping ‘crud’ off the dipstick and finds it’s 4 qts low on oil…!!
The analysis of the engine showed mixed massive and fine wire plugs, with one covered in rust…how does that happen.?
This 1300+ hr engine appears to have been abused, and poorly maintained.
Is this becoming a common thing with SR22 ‘pilots’..?
Sumping the tanks was and is a routine part of my preflight. However I had a learning experience after flying from Colorado to Kentucky as a new 100 hour pilot. After greeting family I left the Mooney parked for a week without a top off. After a week I was ready to return to Colorado and the tanks were topped off early that morning, When I sumped the tanks there was almost a cup of water that came out of each tank. After flying 30 minutes the engine did a hiccup. I did not rekax the rest of the flight. Unlike Colorado, Kentucky has very high humidity. Lesson: top the tanks off before letting the pkane sit for a week.
I have always stumped, which was a chore on some Cessna models with so many sumps, , but one time there was several ounces in a sample (filling the sampler) , , , never skip it…
I suspect some operators become complacent. They used to but never found water, the sump drains leak when you sump them, yada yada yada. A few ounces of prevention is sure worth thousands of pounds of cure.
Morons like this, and make no mistake, he flew the airplane without a proper preflight, which earns him the moniker, cause insurance to rise, the public to decry the risks of “little airplanes” and municipalities to look upon GA airports as nuisances better suited to
closure and conversion to other uses.
The extra two minutes to sump the tanks would’ve been a good use of time.
Don’t be moronic.
I’m glad I read this story. I often fill my tanks or have them filled and DON’T sump them. I will sump before every flight now.
Too many fuel-related accidents. How does a pilot not fly for an extended period and fail to sump the tanks? Tanks are to be checked at *every* flight, and every sump present on the plane must be checked. I had to show a 7-year co-owner pilot where to find all the sump locations on the plane he flies almost every week! He admitted he never knew that the gascolator had a sump, and we were going to fly that day. I told him we are going to redo the pre-flight together, because I drained over an ounce of water from the gascolator. Better rock the wings as you get there, and come back to those sumps last, because water can pool and not hit the lowest point.
If you don’t sump the tanks and just look in, how do you know it isn’t all water?
I don’t know. It’s pretty simple to sump the tanks before the first flight of the day. Sumping the tanks to inspect for water and contamination is part of the walk around inspection detailed in the POH. Pilots are taught to do it, expected to do it, and should do it regardless. Lives saved by the parachute.
Thinking about all these ‘water in the tanks’ crashes. It is fairly simple to design a probe that would be attached to the quick drains, in the tank, and have a warning light/horn in the cockpit to warn the pilot of water in the tanks.!!
Yup, my diesel pickup has a water in fuel indicator…. and better diagnostics.
I think that we could add a resetable warning light in the cockpit which is connected to the master switch that reads:
“SUMP THE DAMNED FUEL TANKS BEFORE FLIGHT”
How about just dumping the tanks!
“Sump” not dump.
Draw it up bro, , you may save some lives and even make a buck or two