What happened
On October 27, 2024, at approximately 1712 mountain standard time, a Cirrus SR20, registration N27WF, was involved in an accident near St. George, Utah. The aircraft was being operated as a Part 91 instructional flight carrying a flight instructor, a student pilot, and a passenger.
During the pre-flight run-up, the flight instructor noted that the left magneto was running rough with a 150 rpm drop. After leaning the mixture to address potential spark plug fouling, the magneto check returned to normal. Following departure from runway 19, the instructor noted sluggish acceleration, which he believed was due to the aircraft's weight. While the engine sounded normal, the airplane failed to accelerate beyond 200 feet above ground level (agl).
The instructor attempted to troubleshoot by adjusting the mixture, cycling the throttle, and verifying that the flaps were at 50%. Despite these efforts, the aircraft could not climb. With terrain rising ahead, the instructor banked left toward the airport. Realizing the runway was unreachable, the instructor maintained a controlled descent to prevent a stall. Upon impacting the soft desert terrain, the instructor performed an aggressive flare to reduce ground speed. This caused the left wing to drop, resulting in a hard landing that sheared off the landing gear. The aircraft skidding and spun between 180 and 270 degrees before coming to a stop. All three occupants were not injured, but the aircraft became engulfed in flames shortly after the occupants exited.
The investigation
Data records from Cirrus indicated that after departure, the aircraft climbed for approximately three minutes to a maximum altitude of 2,950 feet. The records showed a gradual left turn and approximately 40 seconds of stable engine rpm, cylinder head temperatures (CHTs), and exhaust gas temperatures (EGTs). No recorded data consistent with a catastrophic engine malfunction was identified prior to the crash.