20170604008029I

Incident · Substantial damage

FAA incident report · Cirrus Design SR22 · Las Vegas, NM · June 4, 2017

Date
June 4, 2017 · 08:29 local
Place
Las Vegas, NM
Airport
Las Vegas Municipal
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N530GL
Reported as
Cirrus Design SR22
Reported engine
Continental IO-550-N
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Pilot stated that a few minutes after leveling off at level flight FL 230 the aircraft began to experience a severe engine vibration, the engine page was selected on the G1000 and pilot noticed the #2 cylinder temperatures dropping to zero.

Pilot reduced throttle to idle and initiated a decent and contacted abq center and advised the they were conducting an emergency decent, pilot stated that within a few minutes into the decent the engine vibration became worse and at which time they could hear and feel noises.

Pilot stated with the Las Vegas (lvs) airport I nsight and at 12000?, he initiated a couple of steep turns, noting the engine propeller in excess of 4000 RPM and the G1000 engine gauges in the red.

On final approach to runway 32 the aircraft was high and fast so the pilot accomplished a series of side slips to slow the aircraft while attempting to land on runway 32, weather was VFR.

Aircraft landing rollout, the pilot and his passenger a private instrument pilot noticed smoke coming from the engine compartment.

The passenger exited the aircraft and was able to gain access to a fire extinguisher at the FBO and extinguished the small fire.

Pilot stated that 10 minutes after rollout the city police and fire department arrived, fire department used their fire hose to douse the engine compartment with water.

Pilot accomplished preliminary inspection of the aircraft and engine and noted ?catastrophic engine failure?, aircraft engine case had been compromised exhibiting holes on the upper case and internal failure.

The piston and connecting rods were exposed lying in the top of the engine case, the l/h magneto had been sheared off its mounting base due to impact from a piston connecting rod from #2 cylinder.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT STATED THAT A FEW MINUTES AFTER LEVELING OFF AT LEVEL FLIGHT FL 230 THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO EXPERIENCE A SEVERE ENGINE VIBRATION, THE ENGINE PAGE WAS SELECTED ON THE G1000 AND PILOT NOTICED THE #2 CYLINDER TEMPERATURES DROPPING TO ZERO.

PILOT REDUCED THROTTLE TO IDLE AND INITIATED A DECENT AND CONTACTED ABQ CENTER AND ADVISED THE THEY WERE CONDUCTING AN EMERGENCY DECENT, PILOT STATED THAT WITHIN A FEW MINUTES INTO THE DECENT THE ENGINE VIBRATION BECAME WORSE AND AT WHICH TIME THEY COULD HEAR AND FEEL NOISES.

PILOT STATED WITH THE LAS VEGAS (LVS) AIRPORT I NSIGHT AND AT 12000?, HE INITIATED A COUPLE OF STEEP TURNS, NOTING THE ENGINE PROPELLER IN EXCESS OF 4000 RPM AND THE G1000 ENGINE GAUGES IN THE RED.

ON FINAL APPROACH TO RUNWAY 32 THE AIRCRAFT WAS HIGH AND FAST SO THE PILOT ACCOMPLISHED A SERIES OF SIDE SLIPS TO SLOW THE AIRCRAFT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO LAND ON RUNWAY 32, WEATHER WAS VFR.

AIRCRAFT LANDING ROLLOUT, THE PILOT AND HIS PASSENGER A PRIVATE INSTRUMENT PILOT NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT.

THE PASSENGER EXITED THE AIRCRAFT AND WAS ABLE TO GAIN ACCESS TO A FIRE EXTINGUISHER AT THE FBO AND EXTINGUISHED THE SMALL FIRE.

PILOT STATED THAT 10 MINUTES AFTER ROLLOUT THE CITY POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED, FIRE DEPARTMENT USED THEIR FIRE HOSE TO DOUSE THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WITH WATER.

PILOT ACCOMPLISHED PRELIMINARY INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT AND ENGINE AND NOTED ?CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE?, AIRCRAFT ENGINE CASE HAD BEEN COMPROMISED EXHIBITING HOLES ON THE UPPER CASE AND INTERNAL FAILURE.

THE PISTON AND CONNECTING RODS WERE EXPOSED LYING IN THE TOP OF THE ENGINE CASE, THE L/H MAGNETO HAD BEEN SHEARED OFF ITS MOUNTING BASE DUE TO IMPACT FROM A PISTON CONNECTING ROD FROM #2 CYLINDER.