Cirrus Design CORP SR22T accident near Lincoln, Nebraska, February 11, 2022
On February 11, 2022 at about 2:06 am local time, a 2019 Cirrus Design CORP SR22T, registered N317KJ, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Lincoln, Nebraska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s decision to continue the flight with abnormal engine indications and the subsequent failure of the No. 5 cylinder connecting rod for unknown reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 11, 2022 · about 2:06 am local time
- Place
- Lincoln, Nebraska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cirrus Design CORP SR22T, built 2019
- Registration
- N317KJ · registry record · serial 1881
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that the engine start, taxi, and run-up were normal. The night flight proceeded uneventfully until about 60 nm from the destination airport when the engine briefly stuttered and started to run rough. The pilot stated that he told air traffic control that the engine was running rough and requested to divert to an airport located about 39 nautical miles (nm) east of the destination airport. About 40 nm from the destination airport, the pilot told air traffic that the engine smoothed out and he wanted to continue the flight to the destination airport. About 6 nm from the destination airport, the pilot told air traffic that he would be unable to make it to the runway due to engine power loss and was going to look for a field where he could land. He located a field and deployed the airframe parachute. The airplane landed, under parachute, in the field and sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. Recorded avionics data for the flight showed that the abnormal engine indications began about 100 nm from the destination airport and continued to the end of the flight. The pilot continued the flight and passed two airports where a safe precautionary landing could have been performed while operating in night light conditions, which increased the risk of finding a safe area to perform an off-airport landing. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed a catastrophic engine failure. The No. 4 and 5 cylinders were not connected to their respective crankpins. The No. 5 cylinder crankpin surface lacked the deformation and scoring found on the No. 4 cylinder crankpin, suggesting that the No. 5 piston connecting rod separated from its crankpin and that material from the No. 5 cylinder induced foreign object damage and subsequent failure to the remaining portions of the engine.
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 (total) during enroute
- Powerplant sys/comp malf/fail during enroute defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Lack of action › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng cyl section › Failure
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 775 hours in all; 503 in this make and model; 93 in the last 90 days; 42 in the last 30 days; 667 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 15, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,159.3 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 30, 2022
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental Motors TSIO550K1B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TYQ Zionsville IN at 5:40 pm
- Destination: LNK Lincoln NE
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 220° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 10,000 ft; scat at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.62 inHg
- Observation at 8:05 pm from LNK, 6 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
8 documents, released by the NTSB on June 14, 2023. 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 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot Statement | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Passenger Statement | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Record of Examination | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Engine Logbook Excerpt | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Photos | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Onboard Flight Recorders - Specialista��s Factual Report | PDF, 14 pages | View Download |
| 8 | Onboard Flight Recorders - Attachment 1 (Tabular Data for Event Flight) | data file | 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.