Accident Overview
On July 7, 2015, at approximately 1137 central daylight time, a Cirrus SR-22 single-engine airplane, registration N422PB, descended under its Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS) and came to rest in a residential neighborhood in Houston, Texas. The pilot and passenger sustained minor injuries, and the airplane was substantially damaged. The flight was operated by AIRCCS, LLC of Humble, Texas, as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 business flight. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed.
Sequence of Events
According to the pilot, during the initial climb after departing George Bush Intercontinental/Houston Airport (IAH) at 1133, he observed increasing engine temperatures. He reduced power to lower the temperatures. When the airplane reached about 900 feet above ground level, the engine began to detonate and shortly thereafter experienced a complete loss of engine power. Unable to identify a suitable forced landing area, the pilot deployed the CAPS. The airplane impacted terrain and came to rest upright next to a residence.
Post-Accident Investigation
On-scene examination revealed adequate fuel on board, consistent with aviation low-lead gasoline. Records and security video from the last refueling facility confirmed the airplane had been refueled with aviation gasoline, not jet fuel.
Avionics components with non-volatile memory (including engine performance data) were sent to the NTSB Vehicle Recorder Division for download. Data from the accident flight indicated that engine rpm reached at least 3,500 rpm, though the engine's Type Certificate specifies a maximum of 2,700 rpm.
Maintenance and Component Examination
Maintenance records showed that the propeller governor had been inspected and reinstalled prior to the accident flight, with no defects noted. Post-accident testing of the governor at McCauley Propeller in Columbus, Georgia, found it operated within specified parameters. However, the examination noted that the attaching nuts were rounded and washers improperly stacked.
The engine was removed and examined at Continental Motors in Mobile, Alabama. The governor drive gear was found fractured in half within the oil sump. Its teeth exhibited damage consistent with misalignment of the governor driven gear. A broken governor drive gear would result in insufficient oil pressure to drive the propeller governor and cause engine overspeed.
Pilot Report
The pilot did not submit an NTSB Pilot/Operator Accident Report form (NTSB Form 6120.1).