History of Flight
On November 3, 2015, at 0950 central standard time, a Cirrus SR22T airplane, N857SW, experienced a total loss of engine power while en route to Waco, Texas. The pilot deployed the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS) and the airplane descended under the canopy, landing on a road in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The private pilot and a pilot-rated passenger sustained minor injuries, as did one person on the ground; the passenger in the right rear seat was uninjured. The airplane sustained substantial damage.
The flight departed Bentonville Municipal Airport (VBT) at 0934 on an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The pilot reported leveling off at about 10,000 feet mean sea level (msl) above a cloud layer. The crew alerting system (CAS) initially flashed an amber oil pressure caution, then a red warning as oil pressure dropped below 10 psi. The pilot notified air traffic control (ATC) and received vectors to Drake Field Airport (FYV). The engine produced inconsistent power during descent. About 3 miles from FYV, the airplane remained above clouds, preventing visual contact with the airport. At about 1,000 feet above ground level (agl) and 80 knots, the stall warning horn sounded, and the pilot deployed the CAPS. The landing was firm and seatbelt airbags deployed.
Personnel Information
The pilot, age 56, held a private pilot certificate with single-engine land and instrument ratings. He was issued a third-class medical certificate on February 26, 2014, with no limitations. The pilot-rated passenger, age 47, held an airline transport pilot certificate and a flight instructor certificate. He was issued a first-class medical certificate on July 20, 2015, with a limitation requiring corrective lenses.
Aircraft Information
The Cirrus SR22T, serial number 0816, was manufactured in 2014. It was a four-seat, low-wing, fixed tricycle landing gear airplane powered by a 315-horsepower turbocharged Continental Motors TSIO-550-K engine driving a three-bladed Hartzell propeller. Logbook records indicated a 50-hour engine inspection was completed on September 30, 2015, at a total time of 232.4 hours. A maintenance work order from September 24, 2015, noted compliance with Continental Motors Critical Service Bulletin CSB15-2 (Oil Cooler Cross Fitting Replacement) was deferred because the owner chose to wait and the engine manufacturer was out of stock of fittings. Fittings arrived on September 29, 2015, but the pilot had already decided to defer, so the bulletin was not completed by the accident.
Meteorological Information
At 0953, weather at Drake Field Airport (FYV) included wind from 190° at 9 knots gusting to 17 knots, visibility 10 miles, clear sky, temperature 61°F, dew point 57°F, and altimeter 30.11 inches of mercury.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane landed on the eastbound side of a four-lane road. It impacted a moving vehicle, then a curb, and came to rest on a sidewalk facing east. The left landing gear partially collapsed outward, the right and nose landing gear separated. The left wing sustained leading edge damage near the tip; the right wing suffered leading edge damage near the root. The fuselage bottom was damaged, and black oily residue was observed from the bottom to the rudder tip. The parachute lay on the ground behind the airplane.
Postaccident examination revealed no breach in the crankcase or oil sump, but the nipple fitting connecting to the oil cooler cross fitting was separated, with oil residue in the engine compartment. Top spark plugs were normal per Champion chart but exhibited sooty coloration indicating rich mixture. Cylinders were intact via borescope. The propeller could be manually rotated, but internal components were tight. Oil level appeared 1-2 quarts. Fuel and ignition systems were intact.
Engine disassembly at the manufacturer's facility on November 23, 2015, revealed the nipple fitting had fractured. The cross fitting showed tool marks. Mechanical damage was present on all rod and main bearing journals; Nos. 1 and 3 connecting rods had released from the crankshaft, causing internal crankcase damage. The oil pump had no evidence of hard particle passage. The oil sump contained metal fragments from released rod bearings.
Additional Information
The airplane's recoverable data module (RDM) data showed oil pressure initially about 50 psi, decreasing from 0943:30 as the airplane climbed through 9,500 feet msl. It peaked at 9,830 feet msl, then oil pressure fell to 36 psi at 0944, and the airplane began a left turn and descent. Over about 7 minutes, oil pressure decreased approximately 0.5 psi per second to about 3 psi. Engine RPM reached zero when oil pressure fell below 1 psi at 0950:30.
Continental Motors Critical Service Bulletin CSB15-2, originally issued July 2, 2015, required replacement of the oil cooler cross fitting within 25 hours or next inspection due to known fractures of the nipple fitting. Subsequent revisions (CSB15-2A, CSB15-2B) and a new bulletin (CSB15-7) were issued specifically for the accident engine model, with compliance times of prior to further flight (maximum 5 hours for repositioning). Cirrus issued Service Advisory SA15-04 informing customers of the bulletins. Federal Aviation Administration regulations do not require compliance with service bulletins for operations under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.