Cirrus Design CORP SR22T accident near Tuskegee, Alabama, October 15, 2017
On October 15, 2017 at about 4:00 pm local time, a 2010 Cirrus Design CORP SR22T, registered N289CM, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Tuskegee, Alabama (Moton Field Muncipal Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
An improperly adjusted slope controller and fuel pump that resulted in an excessively high fuel flow, an extremely rich mixture, a rough-running engine, and a subsequent partial loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 15, 2017 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Tuskegee, Alabama · Moton Field Muncipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cirrus Design CORP SR22T, built 2010
- Registration
- N289CM · no longer on the register · serial 0014
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot reported that shortly after takeoff, during the initial climb, he sensed the airplane slow down and the climb rate diminish. A witness reported seeing grey smoke being emitted from the airplane's exhaust. Realizing that the engine had lost partial power, the pilot chose a sod field as an off-airport landing site. During the forced landing, the airplane's landing gear collapsed, and the airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. A postaccident examination, which included an engine run, revealed that when the throttle was advanced through a manifold pressure of about 36 inches of mercury (inHg), the fuel flow exceeded the engine manufacturer's full throttle high-side limit. Continued movement of the throttle resulted in a manifold pressure of about 39 inHg before the engine began experiencing fuel flows that were too excessive to support combustion. The slope controller was adjusted to reduce manifold pressure to that specified by Cirrus, and the engine test run continued with high fuel flows. After the manifold pressure adjustment, the engine throttle was rapidly advanced multiple times from idle to full throttle without any hesitation, stumbling, or interruption in power. Thus, it is likely that the improperly adjusted slope controller and fuel pump resulted in an excessively high fuel flow, an extremely rich mixture, a rough-running engine, and a partial loss of engine power.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (partial) during initial climb defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Landing gear collapse during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › Fuel pumps › Incorrect service/maintenance
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › Fuel pressure › Incorrect service/maintenance
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › (general) › Incorrect service/maintenance
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,128 hours in all; 732 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: August 26, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 725.5 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 11, 2017
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor TSIO-550 -K1B (piston); 310 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 06A Tuskegee AL at 4:00 pm
- Destination: NQA Millington TN
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,500 ft; a few clouds at 1,100 ft
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.20 inHg
- Observation at 3:56 pm from KAUO, 16 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
10 documents, released by the NTSB on November 21, 2019. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Recorded Flight Data Specialist's Factual Report | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Recorded Flight Data Specialist's Factual Report - Attachment 1 | data file | Download |
| 3 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Pilot's Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Witness | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Continental Motors - Engine Run Report W/photos | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Pilot's Operating Handbook - Excerpt | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 8 | Maintenance Manual - Standard Practice for Spark Ignited Engines - Excerpts | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
| 9 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 10 | Photos | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.
