Accident Sequence
On January 22, 2013, about 1925 eastern standard time, a Cirrus Design Corp. SR20, registration N140PG, operated by Epic Blue Co., was substantially damaged after deploying its Cirrus Airplane Parachute System (CAPS) while on approach to Danbury Municipal Airport (DXR), Danbury, Connecticut. The flight instructor, a private pilot, and a passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed. The flight, a familiarization flight under 14 CFR Part 91, had departed from Groton-New London Airport (GON), Groton, Connecticut, and was returning to DXR.
According to an FAA inspector, the airplane was on approach to runway 26 when it experienced a total loss of engine power. The pilot reported to air traffic control that the airplane was "out of fuel." The flight instructor elected to deploy CAPS, and the airplane descended via parachute into trees about 3 miles northeast of the airport. The empennage separated and the fuselage sustained substantial damage.
The flight instructor reported that during the initial climb from GON, a "High Fuel Flow" advisory warning illuminated for about 10 seconds. He reduced engine power until the light extinguished, climbed to 4,500 feet, and continued toward DXR. About 12 miles from DXR, the "FUEL" quantity annunciator light illuminated. Approximately 8 to 10 miles from DXR, the engine experienced a total loss of power. The instructor was able to restart the engine momentarily twice, but after the third failure at about 1,000 feet mean sea level, he deployed CAPS.
Preflight and Fuel Management
The flight instructor reported that a preflight inspection at DXR showed the right fuel tank slightly below the tabs and the left at the tabs, totaling about 25 gallons of usable fuel. He entered 22 gallons in the electronic fuel monitor, estimating the round trip requirement at 23.3 gallons including reserves. The private pilot, with no Cirrus experience, observed fuel at "one finger below the tabs." After landing at GON, the fuel selector indicated left tank below 1/8th and right tank at 5/8ths. The private pilot noted a fuel warning light on the primary flight display shortly after takeoff and, about 18 miles east of DXR, observed the right fuel gauge bouncing at half, suggesting landing at a nearby airport. The flight instructor declined, citing the multi-function display (MFD) showing nearly 1 hour of fuel remaining after landing at DXR. The indicated fuel flow during cruise was 9 gallons per hour.
Post-Accident Examination
Examination by an FAA inspector revealed no visible fuel in the tanks and no fuel spill at the site. After recovery, about 26 ounces of fuel was drained from the system; additional draining yielded less than 1 gallon total. No preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures were found. When the avionics power was turned on, the "FUEL" warning light illuminated and stayed on. After adding 10 gallons of 100LL fuel to the left tank, the warning light extinguished and the gauge indicated 10 gallons. No fuel leaks were observed when the electric boost pump operated.
The Avidyne MFD's recorded data showed total fuel used since the last refueling was 42.4 gallons. The data did not show anomalies consistent with the reported high fuel flow indication; recorded fuel flows were within normal ranges.
The President of Epic Blue Co., also a flight instructor, stated that two days earlier he had filled both tanks to "tabs plus 8 gallons" (42 total gallons) and set the totalizer to 40 gallons. Following two flights totaling 2.7 tach hours (4.2 Hobbs hours), he recalled seeing 16 gallons remaining on approach to DXR about 7 miles out, estimating 14-16 gallons at flight end. The accident pilot later told him the fuel level was "slightly under tabs on one side, and a bit more than that under the tabs on the other side."
Background Information
The four-seat, low-wing, fixed-gear airplane, serial number 1920, was manufactured in 2008 and powered by a Teledyne Continental Motors IO-360-ES 200-horsepower engine. Total fuel capacity was 60.5 gallons (56 usable). An amber "FUEL" caution light activated when both tanks dropped below 8.5 gallons. The MFD displayed "Check Fuel Flow" if fuel flow exceeded 18 gallons per hour, but Cirrus provided no guidance for high fuel flow indications. The airplane had about 90 hours since its last annual inspection on October 16, 2012.
The flight instructor held 471 total flight hours, including 120 in the same make and model and 40 hours in the preceding 90 days.