Before the ferry flight, an A&P mechanic with inspection authorization installed the engine onto the Cirrus SR22T. The engine installation also included the installation of alternators 1 and 2.
The mechanic, who was not affiliated with a certificated aircraft repair station or Cirrus Aircraft, performed an engine run-up, but there was no test flight before the accident flight.
The pilot flew the airplane from Tulsa Riverside Airport (KRVS) in Oklahoma to Tulsa International Airport (KTUS), where the airplane’s parachute was to be repacked.
After the approximately 10-minute flight, the pilot parked and shut down the airplane, and while he was still seated in the airplane, line personnel saw smoke coming from the engine compartment. The pilot looked up and saw light white smoke coming from around the propeller spinner.
As he exited the airplane, the intensity of the smoke increased and it changed to a darker color. He looked into the louvered vents under the engine compartment and saw electrical arcing and smoke, but did not see any fire.
He called the fire department and sprayed halon through the louvered vents. Line personnel sprayed a dry multipurpose extinguisher into the airplane’s engine oil access door. Two fire department trucks then arrived and extinguished the fire.
A post-incident examination of the airplane revealed that the external wire connections to alternator 1 were not in accordance with the Cirrus Airplane Maintenance Manual (AMM). Photograph 1 shows the airplane’s alternator 1 installation and Photograph 2 shows an exemplar installation of alternator 1 in accordance with the Cirrus AMM.
Photograph 3 was taken by the mechanic before the engine/alternator removal to use as reference to rewire alternator 1.
An airplane logbook entry by the mechanic, dated Aug. 10, 2023, at a Hobbs time of 1,122.4 hours, stated that a rebuilt engine and both alternators were installed. An airplane logbook entry by the mechanic, dated July 22, 2024, at a Hobbs time of 1,138.1 hours, stated the engine was removed due to a loss of oil pressure, a rebuilt engine was installed, and both alternators were installed.
The airplane battery and associated wiring sustained thermal damage. The airplane’s composite firewall sustained substantial thermal damage.
Probable Cause: The mechanic’s improper installation of the alternator wiring connections, which resulted in electrical arcing and thermal damage to the airplane.
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This August 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.
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