ERA26LA345

On September 19, 2026, at 1045 eastern daylight time, a Cirrus SR-20, N189WM, sustained substantial damage when it was involved in an accident near Ashville, North Carolina. The flight instructor and the student pilot received minor injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight. The flight instructor reported that, during the pre-takeoff run-up, while checking the magnetos, the engine rpm dropped by 100 on the right and 150 on the left. Unable to resolve the discrepancy, they taxied back and troubleshot the issue further with the chief flight instructor. The flight instructor was informed that the anomaly was discovered on previous flights and that the mixture needed to be precisely leaned for density altitude. They were departing from Asheville Regional Airport (AVL) Asheville, North Carolina, which had a field elevation of 2,163 ft. After receiving the information, the pilot leaned the fuel mixture, and the magneto check was within limits. No further anomalies were observed. After taxi out, while holding short of the takeoff runway, the instructor performed another engine run-up and checked the magnetos, which yielded normal results. During the takeoff roll, all gauges and indications were reading normal, and the engine was performing normally during the takeoff roll and climb out. During the later stages of the climb, the instructor noticed that the engine cylinder head temperatures (CHTs) were reading a little high, so he enriched the mixture to keep the CHT below 400°. About 10 seconds after adding mixture, while at an altitude of about 3,000 ft, mean sea level the engine lost all power. The instructor took over the controls, turned back toward the airport, and declared an emergency. His attempts to restart the engine were unsuccessful and he pitched for best glide speed. During the descent, they were still over mountainous terrain at 2,000 ft above ground level and the flight instructor determined it was too risky to activate the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS) so he aimed towards the first open field and intended to pull the CAPS as soon as they arrived over the field or at 800 ft agl, “whichever came first.” Once over the field, the instructor activated the CAPS; the parachute deployed and the airplane descended and settled onto the field. During the landing, the nose gear collapsed, and the engine compartment and airframe forward of the cockpit were substantially damaged. The wreckage was recovered and retained for further examination.