Cirrus SR22 N813JE

Summary

On 11 June 2014 at about 17:31 local time, a Cirrus SR22 registered N813JE, operated by East Coast Aeroclub, Inc., was involved in an incident near Burlington, Massachusetts, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was slightly damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

11 June 2014 at 17:31

Classification

Incident

Location

Burlington, Massachusetts, United States

Nearest airport

Laurence G Hanscom Fld (BED)

Coordinates

42.4886, -71.2197

Aircraft

Cirrus SR22

Registration

N813JE

Category

Airplane

Year built

2008

Engines

1

Operator

East Coast Aeroclub, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Bedford → Bedford

Aircraft damage

Minor

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA14IA301

Nobody was injured.

A loss of clamping load of the No. 5 cylinder crankcase through bolts due to maintenance personnel’s failure to properly torque the through bolts during recent maintenance, which resulted in displacement of the No. 2 bearing and the subsequent catastrophic engine failure.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The flight instructor reported that he and the pilot receiving instruction had completed a local instructional flight and were returning to the departure airport. While the airplane was about 1,700 ft mean sea level, the engine began running roughly and subsequently lost all power. The pilot receiving instruction immediately handed over the flight controls to the flight instructor. The flight instructor attempted to maneuver the airplane to a field for a forced landing but realized that the airplane would not be able to reach the field, so the pilots activated the ballistic parachute system. After the parachute deployed, the airplane touched down in an area of dense vegetation. Postincident examination of the engine revealed that the crankshaft had fractured at the No. 2 main journal and that the camshaft had fractured between the Nos. 2 and 3 main bearing supports. The No. 2 main bearing had shifted, and fretting was present on the main bearing supports, consistent with a loss of clamping load on the crankcase, which resulted in movement of the No. 2 bearing and excessive loading on, and the ultimate failure of, the crankshaft. The nuts securing the No. 5 cylinder to its two crankcase through bolts had less torque than that specified by the engine manufacturer's installation guidance, and it is possible that the loss of clamping load on the crankcase was due to a loss of torque to the adjacent No. 5 cylinder crankcase through bolts. According to maintenance records, the No. 5 cylinder had been removed and replaced about 4 months, or 27 flight hours, before the accident. Although the logbook entry indicated that the through bolts were torqued "from each side to [the engine manufacturer's] specifications," it is likely that, while replacing the No. 5 cylinder, maintenance personnel did not properly torque the cylinder crankcase through bolts, which resulted in displacement of the No. 2 bearing and the catastrophic failure of the engine.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.