History of Flight
On March 19, 2010, about 1910 Pacific daylight time, a Cirrus SR22 (N224GS) collided with trees and terrain during a forced landing following a loss of engine power near Morton, Washington. The private pilot was operating under Part 91. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The pilot was killed and the passenger sustained serious injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed; no flight plan was filed. The flight departed Buchanan Field Airport, Concord, California, about 1540, destined for Renton Municipal Airport, Renton, Washington.
The passenger stated that during cruise flight, the pilot suddenly took controls, said the engine had lost power, and that they would land at a nearby airport. He entered a steep right turn toward the airport. The pilot remained calm, declared a MAYDAY, and communicated on radio. The passenger sent a text message at 1909 indicating they would not reach the airport, then lost consciousness. The passenger noted that the pilot had shown her how to activate the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS) but did not attempt to deploy it.
Audio recordings captured a MAYDAY transmission from N224GS on 121.5 at 1906:51, with part unintelligible. Another aircraft and Seattle Radio responded. N224GS reported being west of Strom Airport and trying to make the field, then no further transmissions. The wreckage was found about 2.5 miles west-northwest of Strom Field.
Pilot Information
The pilot, age 39, held a private pilot certificate with single-engine land rating and a third-class medical certificate issued May 29, 2007, requiring corrective lenses. Logbook entries indicated total flight time of 489.4 hours, with 13 hours in the previous 30 days and 14.9 hours in the previous 90 days. The last flight review was July 29, 2009.
Aircraft Information
The four-seat, low-wing, fixed-gear airplane (serial number 1326) was manufactured in 2005, powered by a Teledyne Continental IO-550-N engine with a Hartzell propeller. Maintenance records showed the last annual inspection was performed in February 2010 at Auburn Flight Service, though logbook entries were incomplete. Three cracked cylinders (3, 5, and 6) were replaced on February 2, 2010. A subsequent ground run revealed rough mag drops; spark plugs were cleaned and reinstalled. The annual inspection checklist had several items uninitialed, including fuel system functional inspection and airplane run-up. The Director of Maintenance (DOM) and an A&P/IA involved in the inspection acknowledged that the logbook endorsements were not completed.
Meteorological Information
At 1915, weather at Chehalis-Centralia Airport (30 miles west) reported 10 statute miles visibility, clear sky, temperature 13°C, dew point 2°C, wind 340° at 7 knots, altimeter 30.13 inHg.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The first point of impact was an area of 50-foot tall trees. A 4-inch diameter tree branch was broken; fiberglass was suspended at treetop. The outboard right wing section was found 130 feet from the main wreckage. The wreckage came to rest on soft garden terrain on a heading of 015 degrees, with an impact crater 2 feet deep. Both propeller blades were partially buried. No fire occurred. The CAPS rocket motor propellant was expended; parachute remained partially folded with the slider at top of suspension lines. The activation handle was seated in its holder. The CAPS enclosure cover was found 15 feet away. Signatures were consistent with impact activation.
Approximately 7 gallons of fuel were drained from the left wing tank; the right tank was breached. About 1 cup of fuel was obtained from the right header tank.
Medical and Pathological Information
Autopsy attributed cause of death to blunt force head injuries. Toxicological testing on the pilot was negative for carbon monoxide, cyanide, and volatiles. Positive results included acetaminophen, salicylate, and trazodone (detected in blood, liver, and urine). The pilot's family reported he used trazodone as a sleep aid.
Engine Examination
The engine was examined at Teledyne Continental Motors. The throttle and metering assembly inlet fitting cap (part number 639494) was missing; it was found resting on an inter-cylinder baffle, undamaged, with light blue staining on the crankcase. After installing a substitute cap and replacing impact-damaged parts, an engine test run with the fuel inlet cap finger-tight showed normal operation and production of rated horsepower, with fuel droplet accumulation at the cap during leak check.
Metallurgical Examinations
Examination of the fuel inlet cap revealed corrosion deposits on internal threads; three threads showed scuffing indicative of engagement. The mixture cable was found fractured at the accident site; examination indicated overstress fracture under bending loads.
Cockpit Displays
The airplane was equipped with Avidyne EXP5000 PFD and EX5000 MFD. The NTSB Recorders Laboratory examined the units but no specific findings are detailed in this report.