What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
1.The mechanic disconnected the alternator #1 airframe side wiring harness from the #1 alternator to facilitate removal of the #3 and #5 engine cylinders. He did not mark or identify the connectors during this removal.2.on reinstallation, he could not recall the placement for the shield wire. With the shrink wrap covering he did not readily identify the wire as a shield/ground wire.3.the mechanic consulted the SR22 wiring and maintenance manuals. The shield wire is not described or depicted.4.the mechanic asked a coworker where the wire might be attached. The coworker, recalling knowledge of other installations told the mechanic it was probably a connection to the aux connector on the alternator, for a paralleling or alternator output monitoring function. The mechanic then hooked the shield wire to the aux connection on the alternator.5.on completion of the maintenance 2 separate engine power runs were performed for a total run time of approximately one hour. On taxi back to the operator's hanger a slight burning smell was noted by the two mechanics performing the engine run. On return the mechanics uncowled the engine and inspected the engine area for source of the smell or any irregularity. None was found. The cowlings were reinstalled and the aircraft returned to the operator.6.on the first flight attempt for the aircraft (March 23, 2012 approx 1100 local time), during run-up prior to departure, the crew (2 pilots) experienced a loss of information on the multi function display (MFD) and primary flight display (PFD). The #1 comm radio had also failed. The battery 2 and alternator 1 circuit breakers were observed as 'popped' and would not reset. The crew contacted ground control to apprise them of the need to taxi back to the hanger. During the wait for acknowledgement from ground control all electrical power was lost. The crew turned off all electrical switches; however the engine was still running at this point. The crew applied power to begin taxi and the engine shutdown. The crew then observed smoke coming from under the nose of the aircraft. The crew shutdown all power and exited the aircraft with the fire extinguisher. They contacted ground control via cell phone and apprised them of the situation. The fire department was dispatched however by arrival the smoke condition had stopped.7.on towing back to the hanger the engine was uncowled revealing the damage as follows:a.the alternator #1 airframe interconnect harness was burned up at the firewall ground buss. Air conditioning and fuel hoses adjacent to the area were also fire damaged.b.one of the large gauge terminal connectors had welded itself to the stainless firewall.c.the composite firewall had suffered substantial damage to the top and fill layers.d.the composite engine cowling suffered heat damage.e.the main control unit suffered heat damage to the bat connectors.f.damage to the engine, electrical systems and instrumentation is unknown at this point.
As the FAA filed it
1.THE MECHANIC DISCONNECTED THE ALTERNATOR #1 AIRFRAME SIDE WIRING HARNESS FROM THE #1 ALTERNATOR TO FACILITATE REMOVAL OF THE #3 AND #5 ENGINE CYLINDERS. HE DID NOT MARK OR IDENTIFY THE CONNECTORS DURING THIS REMOVAL.2.ON REINSTALLATION, HE COULD NOT RECALL THE PLACEMENT FOR THE SHIELD WIRE. WITH THE SHRINK WRAP COVERING HE DID NOT READILY IDENTIFY THE WIRE AS A SHIELD/GROUND WIRE.3.THE MECHANIC CONSULTED THE SR22 WIRING AND MAINTENANCE MANUALS. THE SHIELD WIRE IS NOT DESCRIBED OR DEPICTED.4.THE MECHANIC ASKED A COWORKER WHERE THE WIRE MIGHT BE ATTACHED. THE COWORKER, RECALLING KNOWLEDGE OF OTHER INSTALLATIONS TOLD THE MECHANIC IT WAS PROBABLY A CONNECTION TO THE AUX CONNECTOR ON THE ALTERNATOR, FOR A PARALLELING OR ALTERNATOR OUTPUT MONITORING FUNCTION. THE MECHANIC THEN HOOKED THE SHIELD WIRE TO THE AUX CONNECTION ON THE ALTERNATOR.5.ON COMPLETION OF THE MAINTENANCE 2 SEPARATE ENGINE POWER RUNS WERE PERFORMED FOR A TOTAL RUN TIME OF APPROXIMATELY ONE HOUR. ON TAXI BACK TO THE OPERATOR'S HANGER A SLIGHT BURNING SMELL WAS NOTED BY THE TWO MECHANICS PERFORMING THE ENGINE RUN. ON RETURN THE MECHANICS UNCOWLED THE ENGINE AND INSPECTED THE ENGINE AREA FOR SOURCE OF THE SMELL OR ANY IRREGULARITY. NONE WAS FOUND. THE COWLINGS WERE REINSTALLED AND THE AIRCRAFT RETURNED TO THE OPERATOR.6.ON THE FIRST FLIGHT ATTEMPT FOR THE AIRCRAFT (MARCH 23, 2012 APPROX 1100 LOCAL TIME), DURING RUN-UP PRIOR TO DEPARTURE, THE CREW (2 PILOTS) EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF INFORMATION ON THE MULTI FUNCTION DISPLAY (MFD) AND PRIMARY FLIGHT DISPLAY (PFD). THE #1 COMM RADIO HAD ALSO FAILED. THE BATTERY 2 AND ALTERNATOR 1 CIRCUIT BREAKERS WERE OBSERVED AS 'POPPED' AND WOULD NOT RESET. THE CREW CONTACTED GROUND CONTROL TO APPRISE THEM OF THE NEED TO TAXI BACK TO THE HANGER. DURING THE WAIT FOR ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FROM GROUND CONTROL ALL ELECTRICAL POWER WAS LOST. THE CREW TURNED OFF ALL ELECTRICAL SWITCHES; HOWEVER THE ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING AT THIS POINT. THE CREW APPLIED POWER TO BEGIN TAXI AND THE ENGINE SHUTDOWN. THE CREW THEN OBSERVED SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE CREW SHUTDOWN ALL POWER AND EXITED THE AIRCRAFT WITH THE FIRE EXTINGUISHER. THEY CONTACTED GROUND CONTROL VIA CELL PHONE AND APPRISED THEM OF THE SITUATION. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS DISPATCHED HOWEVER BY ARRIVAL THE SMOKE CONDITION HAD STOPPED.7.ON TOWING BACK TO THE HANGER THE ENGINE WAS UNCOWLED REVEALING THE DAMAGE AS FOLLOWS:A.THE ALTERNATOR #1 AIRFRAME INTERCONNECT HARNESS WAS BURNED UP AT THE FIREWALL GROUND BUSS. AIR CONDITIONING AND FUEL HOSES ADJACENT TO THE AREA WERE ALSO FIRE DAMAGED.B.ONE OF THE LARGE GAUGE TERMINAL CONNECTORS HAD WELDED ITSELF TO THE STAINLESS FIREWALL.C.THE COMPOSITE FIREWALL HAD SUFFERED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE TOP AND FILL LAYERS.D.THE COMPOSITE ENGINE COWLING SUFFERED HEAT DAMAGE.E.THE MAIN CONTROL UNIT SUFFERED HEAT DAMAGE TO THE BAT CONNECTORS.F.DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE, ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS AND INSTRUMENTATION IS UNKNOWN AT THIS POINT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.