Cirrus SR20 N8PY

Summary

On 10 April 2016 at about 20:34 local time, a Cirrus SR20 registered N8PY was involved in an accident near Caldwell, Texas, United States. 4 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

10 April 2016 at 20:34

Classification

Accident

Location

Caldwell, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Caldwell Muni (RWV)

Coordinates

30.5156, -96.7042

Aircraft

Cirrus SR20

Registration

N8PY

Category

Airplane

Year built

2006

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Eunice → Lago Vista

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN16LA151

Nobody was injured.

The failure of the No. 5 cylinder's exhaust pipe for undetermined reasons, which resulted in a partial loss of engine power. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s fast and long landing, which led to a runway overrun.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

While in cruise flight, the private pilot experienced a vibration and noise that seemed to be originating from the engine. He reported that the engine rpm became erratic, and the airplane became harder to control due to the unusual vibration. As the pilot proceeded to the closest airport for a precautionary landing, the engine "seemed to be starting and stopping" or sputtering. The pilot reported that, before touching down on the 3,252-foot-long runway, the engine experienced a total loss of power. He flared the airplane above the runway and touched down at a higher-than-normal speed. The airplane bounced and settled onto the runway near its midpoint. Despite full braking action, the pilot was unable to stop the airplane, and it overran the runway before colliding with a tree and fence. An examination of the engine found that the exhaust pipe had fractured from the No. 5 cylinder; however, the reason for the separation could not be determined. No additional preimpact anomalies were detected with the engine that would have precluded normal operation. The airplane's multifunction display recorded the airplane's flight and engine parameters. Data showed a large drop in exhaust gas temperature of the No. 5 cylinder consistent with a failure of the exhaust pipe. The data revealed that, during the landing, the engine was operating until just before the airplane came to rest when the manifold pressure increased to ambient pressure.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.