OpenAirDocs.org

20220426005829I

Incident · No damage
Open the Markdown

FAA incident report · Cirrus Design SR22 · North Fairfield, OH · April 26, 2022

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
April 26, 2022 · 15:15 local
Place
North Fairfield, OH
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
No damage
Aircraft
N973SD
Reported as
Cirrus Design SR22
Reported engine
Continental IO-550-N
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
N973SDRegistered now · Cirrus Design SR22S/N 3755Airframe modelCirrus Design SR22Engine modelContinental IO-550-NReciprocating

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.

On Tuesday April 26, 2022 I was requested to investigate a Cirrus SR22 (N973SD) landing in a field.

The pilot departed kpwk (chicago executive airport) around 830AM central time and was heading to kakr (akron fulton) for a pleasure flight. The pilot showed me his current medical and certificate.

Prior to departing kpwk as part of his normal preflight duties the pilot noticed the oil level was slightly low at 5 and ½ quarts, so he added ½ quart to the engine.

Just a few miles west of where the airplane landed in North Fairfield, the pilot thought the engine was sounding rough while in cruise flight at 2800MSL. He reconfigured his headset and then realized the engine was running rough. Conducting a quick scan of his instruments and primary flight display, Mr. Epner noticed the engine oil temperature (203) and pressure (46-48) were both in the green. The PIC then double checked to make sure the mixture was full rich and the fuel boost pumps were on, in which they were in the proper settings.

After his scan the pilot decided to pitch for best glide speed and scanned the area for a good forced landing spot. Mr. Epner announced on 121.50 that he was putting the airplane down due to engine troubles. The PIC then found a field where the furrows matched the winds coming out of the west and made his approach to the field. While on final approach the pilot recalls the propeller still slowly spinning, but it stopped at some point during the landing. During the landing Mr. Epner held the yoke back all the way to prevent the aircraft flipping over. The pilot believes the propeller stopped moving sometime during the ground roll and finished in the y position.

The pilot informed me that back in December of 2021 this airplane had all six cylinders overhauled and the airplane is still using mineral oil for the break in period. He mentioned the airplane having approximately 20 hours on it since the new cylinders were installed.

Everything in this statement is factual and is not based on opinion

As the FAA filed it

ON TUESDAY APRIL 26, 2022 I WAS REQUESTED TO INVESTIGATE A CIRRUS SR22 (N973SD) LANDING IN A FIELD.

THE PILOT DEPARTED KPWK (CHICAGO EXECUTIVE AIRPORT) AROUND 830AM CENTRAL TIME AND WAS HEADING TO KAKR (AKRON FULTON) FOR A PLEASURE FLIGHT. THE PILOT SHOWED ME HIS CURRENT MEDICAL AND CERTIFICATE.

PRIOR TO DEPARTING KPWK AS PART OF HIS NORMAL PREFLIGHT DUTIES THE PILOT NOTICED THE OIL LEVEL WAS SLIGHTLY LOW AT 5 AND ½ QUARTS, SO HE ADDED ½ QUART TO THE ENGINE.

JUST A FEW MILES WEST OF WHERE THE AIRPLANE LANDED IN NORTH FAIRFIELD, THE PILOT THOUGHT THE ENGINE WAS SOUNDING ROUGH WHILE IN CRUISE FLIGHT AT 2800MSL. HE RECONFIGURED HIS HEADSET AND THEN REALIZED THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING ROUGH. CONDUCTING A QUICK SCAN OF HIS INSTRUMENTS AND PRIMARY FLIGHT DISPLAY, MR. EPNER NOTICED THE ENGINE OIL TEMPERATURE (203) AND PRESSURE (46-48) WERE BOTH IN THE GREEN. THE PIC THEN DOUBLE CHECKED TO MAKE SURE THE MIXTURE WAS FULL RICH AND THE FUEL BOOST PUMPS WERE ON, IN WHICH THEY WERE IN THE PROPER SETTINGS.

AFTER HIS SCAN THE PILOT DECIDED TO PITCH FOR BEST GLIDE SPEED AND SCANNED THE AREA FOR A GOOD FORCED LANDING SPOT. MR. EPNER ANNOUNCED ON 121.50 THAT HE WAS PUTTING THE AIRPLANE DOWN DUE TO ENGINE TROUBLES. THE PIC THEN FOUND A FIELD WHERE THE FURROWS MATCHED THE WINDS COMING OUT OF THE WEST AND MADE HIS APPROACH TO THE FIELD. WHILE ON FINAL APPROACH THE PILOT RECALLS THE PROPELLER STILL SLOWLY SPINNING, BUT IT STOPPED AT SOME POINT DURING THE LANDING. DURING THE LANDING MR. EPNER HELD THE YOKE BACK ALL THE WAY TO PREVENT THE AIRCRAFT FLIPPING OVER. THE PILOT BELIEVES THE PROPELLER STOPPED MOVING SOMETIME DURING THE GROUND ROLL AND FINISHED IN THE Y POSITION.

THE PILOT INFORMED ME THAT BACK IN DECEMBER OF 2021 THIS AIRPLANE HAD ALL SIX CYLINDERS OVERHAULED AND THE AIRPLANE IS STILL USING MINERAL OIL FOR THE BREAK IN PERIOD. HE MENTIONED THE AIRPLANE HAVING APPROXIMATELY 20 HOURS ON IT SINCE THE NEW CYLINDERS WERE INSTALLED.

EVERYTHING IN THIS STATEMENT IS FACTUAL AND IS NOT BASED ON OPINION

Other aircraft in the event · 1

Each aircraft in a collision has its own report.

N228DTCirrus SR22No report for this aircraft in the release