History of Flight
On July 23, 2011, about 1233 eastern daylight time, a Cirrus Design Corporation SR22, registration N122HB, experienced a loss of engine power and sustained substantial damage during an attempted forced landing to an open field near Palm Bay, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed for the personal flight from Albert Whitted Airport, St. Petersburg, Florida, to Melbourne International Airport, Melbourne, Florida. The private pilot and one passenger were fatally injured; one passenger sustained minor injuries. The flight originated from St. Petersburg about 1145.
The rear seat passenger reported that before takeoff, the pilot checked the airplane externally and internally. She described the takeoff as perfect and smooth. According to communications, at 1146 the pilot contacted Tampa Air Traffic Control Tower, reporting at 700 feet climbing to 1,600 feet. Controllers vectored the flight over Tampa International Airport runway 28. At 1201, the pilot advised a new destination of Valkaria Airport for a fuel stop. Communications were then transferred to Orlando Approach Control.
At 1227:13, the controller directed descent to 1,500 feet. At 1231:16, the pilot declared a mayday, reporting smoke from the engine and engine flutter. The controller advised that Melbourne International Airport was at 9 o'clock and about 9 miles, and Valkaria at 12 o'clock and 7 miles. The pilot acknowledged but said he could not make either airport and sought an off-airport site. At 1232:12, the pilot stated, "we got fire we doing an off site landing." Radar contact was lost at 1233:27; no further transmissions were received.
The rear seat passenger stated that after turning south, the airplane shuddered and became quiet. She ducked. Three witnesses about 0.5 nautical mile northwest reported the airplane at 400-500 feet, heading about 100 degrees magnetic, with engine sputtering and coughing, but no smoke. The airplane descended, banked hard right with wings near vertical, nose pitched down, and disappeared behind trees. They heard impact, saw white smoke, and called 911.
Personnel Information
The pilot, aged 65, held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land and instrument airplane, and a third-class medical certificate issued June 5, 2011, with a limitation for near vision glasses. His logbook (Logbook Number 3) showed the first entry on January 12, 2004, and last on July 19, 2011. Carry-forward time was 1,606.8 hours in airplane SEL. Pilot-in-command carry-forward was 1,517.7 hours. Recorded aircraft included a Cessna 182, LC-42 (Columbia), Piper PA-28, and the accident airplane from October 28, 2010. Total logged time was 3,043.4 hours. The last flight review under 14 CFR 61.56(a) was on May 21, 2010. Total time in the accident airplane was 153.4 hours; in the last 90 days, 63.6 hours; in the last 30 days, 14.2 hours, all as PIC. Total PIC time in Logbook 3 was 2,744.6 hours. A friend reported that the pilot said he would only deploy the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS) in case of structural failure or loss of control.
Aircraft Information
The airplane was a 2003 Cirrus SR22, serial number 0517, powered by a 310-horsepower Continental Motors IO-550-N engine with a three-bladed Hartzell propeller. Engine parameters were displayed on analog instruments and on the Avidyne multi-function display (MFD). The MFD did not display text alerts but would change digit colors for caution or redline values. The primary flight display (PFD) showed flight parameters. An annunciator panel included a red "OIL" warning light for high oil temperature or low oil pressure. The Pilot's Operating Handbook (POH) was found in the pilot's hangar; a spiral-bound excerpt was in the wreckage.
Engine logbook records indicated no engine removal since manufacture. At an annual inspection on May 27, 2011 (airplane hour meter 1234.9), new cylinder assemblies and piston pin/plug assemblies were installed, and the engine was serviced with 9 quarts of AeroShell 100 mineral oil. The work was performed by Santa Fe Aero Services. Correspondence indicated three cracked cylinder heads and three severed piston rods were discovered during inspection, but later clarified as cracked piston pin plugs. The MFD had been replaced due to a shutdown issue. At the accident, the hour meter read 1281.6, so the engine had 46.7 hours since the new cylinders were installed.
Meteorological Information
At 1150, Lakeland Linder Regional Airport reported wind 140° at 5 knots, visibility 15 miles, broken clouds at 2,700 feet, temperature 32°C, dew point 23°C, altimeter 30.19 inches. At 1214, Melbourne International Airport reported wind 090° at 9 knots, visibility 10 miles with thunderstorms in the vicinity, scattered clouds at 1,700 feet, temperature 32°C, dew point 24°C, altimeter 30.16 inches. A center weather advisory indicated widely scattered thunderstorms with heavy precipitation from Ormond Beach to Vero Beach, with tops at 38,000 feet.
Communications
No communication difficulties were reported. The pilot's last contact was with Central Florida Terminal Radar Approach Control.
Flight Recorders
The airplane was not equipped with a cockpit voice recorder or flight data recorder but had non-volatile memory (NVM) in the PFD, MFD, and autopilot digital flight control (DFC). NVM data were downloaded. Engine rpm remained about 2,400 from about 1150 to 1231:32, then decreased to 1,700 at last recording (1232:44). Autopilot engaged at 1147 and disengaged about 1 minute before the accident. Oil pressure began decreasing at 1202 from 45 psi, dropped below 30 psi at 1206, and below 10 psi at 1222:06, remaining below that value. Oil temperature peaked at 227°F, below redline (240°F). Exhaust gas temperature for cylinder No. 4 was consistently highest until 1231:14, then became lowest, dropping to 0 at 1231:44. At the end of recorded data, airspeed was about 74 knots, bank angle about 55 degrees.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The crash site was in a large open area with paved roads. Main wreckage coordinates: 27°56.227'N, 080°42.156'W. A ground scar on a road with a green glass lens oriented 314° magnetic. Debris path included a separated propeller adjacent to a crater, the engine inverted about 108 feet from the road scar, a fractured connecting rod with piston pin, and the oil gauge rod and cap. The airplane came to rest 115 feet from the road scar on a heading of 100°, cockpit and firewall upright, empennage on its left side. Oil residue was noted on the left side. The aft fuselage separated just aft of the front seats, and the empennage separated just forward of the horizontal stabilizer, both held by control cables and wiring. Flight control continuity was confirmed. Flaps were fully extended; pitch trim was full nose-up.
The CAPS safety pin was removed (normal for flight), activation handle stowed, system not deployed. The activation handle holder bracket was bent 15-20° downward. Rocket motor propellant grains were burned with no anomalies. Reefing line cutters fired within specifications.
Cockpit seats remained attached. The combination analog oil temperature/pressure gauge was separated but electrically connected; the oil pressure needle was missing, oil temperature off-scale low. The annunciator panel was found but LED illumination precluded determination of whether the "OIL" light was on. A digital camera was retained.
The engine crankshaft was fractured near the crankcase; the forward portion remained attached to the propeller hub. Holes were present in the crankcase above cylinders Nos. 4, 5, and 6, and connecting rods for those cylinders were detached from the crankshaft. The oil filler cap was not attached. An impact mark on the No. 4 cylinder induction tube was noted.