Incident Overview
On 12 November 2010, at approximately 09:06 UTC, a Cirrus SR22, registration N918SR, departed Milan Bresso Airport (LIMB) on a tourist flight to Rimini Airport (LIPR) with a single pilot on board. About 34 minutes later, at 09:40 UTC, the engine experienced a power loss, prompting the pilot to perform a forced landing in a plowed field in the municipality of Luzzara, in the province of Reggio Emilia. The aircraft sustained extensive damage, but the pilot remained uninjured.
Flight Details
After takeoff, the aircraft executed a wide turn to avoid overflying the metropolitan area of Milan, climbing to a maximum pressure altitude of approximately 2,800 feet by 09:09 UTC. It then proceeded southeast at a constant altitude of around 2,200 feet, with a heading of about 125°. At 09:30 UTC, the aircraft began a gradual descent to around 1,000 feet, fluctuating between 1,200 and 1,500 feet until 09:38 UTC. According to information from ENAV SpA, the pilot initially communicated with Padova Flight Information Center (FIC) about technical problems and expressed an intention to land at Carpi Airport (LIDU). At 09:38 UTC, the pilot radioed the need for an emergency landing. From approximately 1,400 feet, the pilot initiated a descent for a forced landing, identified a clear area free of obstacles and buildings in Luzzara, and executed a left turn to reach it.
Engine Parameter Analysis
Data downloaded from the Avidyne multi-function display (MFD) provided insight into the engine’s performance. At 09:13:00 UTC, a uniform increase in exhaust gas temperature (EGT) across all six cylinders was observed, from an average of about 1,200 °F (648 °C) to around 1,400 °F (760 °C), coinciding with a marked reduction in fuel flow. This pattern is consistent with an adjustment of the air/fuel mixture ratio in flight at a constant altitude of about 2,280 feet. At 09:13:54 UTC, a further, smaller increase in EGT to approximately 1,500 °F (815 °C) occurred alongside another small reduction in fuel flow, accompanied by a slight rise in turbine inlet temperature (TIT).
From 09:16:30 UTC, an anomalous increase in EGT was recorded for cylinder #5 alone, reaching 1,660 °F (904 °C), along with increases in TIT and cylinder head temperature (CHT) for the same cylinder. This anomaly did not appear correlated with other engine parameters. From 09:18:06 UTC, the EGT of cylinder #5 began to drop rapidly, settling at values lower than the other cylinders after two oscillations by 09:19:30 UTC. The CHT of cylinder #5 remained consistently higher than other cylinders during this interval, then gradually fell below them. Engine parameters RPM (stable at 2,540), manifold absolute pressure (MAP), and oil pressure remained normal.
Between 09:28:42 and 09:29:36 UTC, an excessive oil temperature parameter was recorded, with oil temperature reaching 240 °F (about 115 °C), activating the “Oil Warning Light” as noted in the Pilot’s Operating Handbook. Over the next eight minutes, altitude reduced from 2,200 feet to between 1,200 and 1,550 feet, and engine RPM initially decreased but then increased back to 2,450 RPM, remaining constant until approximately 30 seconds before the end of the recording. At 09:40:00 UTC, engine RPM dropped, EGT reduced to zero for cylinders #1, #3, and #5, and TIT also fell. The MFD data recording ceased at 09:40:36 UTC.
Post-Accident Examination
The engine was removed from the wreckage and examined at a certified maintenance facility in the presence of an ANSV investigator and a representative of the engine manufacturer, who served as a technical consultant for the NTSB. The engine was transported complete with all its parts and accessories. The spark plugs, removed from their respective cylinders, were identified as Champion RH32S (type). No further details on engine condition were provided in the report.