Incident Overview
On August 3, 2024, at 1300 central daylight time, a Cirrus SR22T, registration N825JC, was involved in an incident near Tulsa, Oklahoma. The airplane sustained substantial damage after the engine was shut down. The pilot was uninjured. The flight was conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a ferry flight.
Pre-Flight Maintenance
Prior to the ferry flight, an airframe and powerplant mechanic with inspection authorization installed the engine onto the airplane. The installation also included the installation of alternators 1 and 2. The mechanic was not affiliated with a certificated aircraft repair station or Cirrus Aircraft. The mechanic performed an engine run-up, but no test flight was conducted before the accident flight.
Flight and Incident
The pilot flew the airplane from Tulsa Riverside Airport (RVS) to Tulsa International Airport (TUS), a flight of approximately 10 minutes, for repacking of the parachute. After parking and shutting down the airplane, while the pilot was still seated, line personnel observed smoke emanating from the engine compartment. The pilot noted light white smoke around the propeller spinner. As the pilot exited, the smoke intensified and turned darker. Looking through the louvered vents under the engine compartment, the pilot saw electrical arcing and smoke but no visible fire. The pilot called the fire department and discharged halon through the vents. Line personnel used a dry multipurpose extinguisher through the engine oil access door. Two fire department trucks arrived and extinguished the fire.
Postincident Examination
Examination of the airplane revealed that the external wire connections to alternator 1 (Plane Power, model ES10024, serial number H-X092248) were not in accordance with the Cirrus Airplane Maintenance Manual (AMM). Photographs taken during the investigation compared the installation to an exemplar following the AMM. The airplane battery and associated wiring sustained thermal damage, and the composite firewall sustained substantial thermal damage.
Logbook Entries
An airplane logbook entry by the mechanic, dated August 10, 2023, at a Hobbs time of 1,122.4 hours, stated that a rebuilt engine and both alternators were installed. A subsequent entry dated July 22, 2024, at a Hobbs time of 1,138.1 hours, noted removal of the engine due to loss of oil pressure, installation of a rebuilt engine, and installation of both alternators.