Cirrus Design CORP SR22T accident near Minot, North Dakota, March 11, 2022
On March 11, 2022 at about 10:05 pm local time, a 2014 Cirrus Design CORP SR22T, registered N164CP, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach near Minot, North Dakota (Mot airport). 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 failure of the Nos.2, 4, and 6 cylinders due to detonation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 11, 2022 · about 10:05 pm local time
- Place
- Minot, North Dakota · Mot · 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 2014
- Registration
- N164CP · registry record · serial 0891
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During a cross-country flight, about 50-miles from the destination airport, the engine began to run rough. The pilot continued toward the airport and tried to resolve the engine issue. The No. 6 cylinder dropped offline, followed by the Nos. 2 and 4 cylinders. The engine was still running, but the pilot could not maintain enough altitude to make it to the airport. The pilot executed a forced landing in a snow-covered field. The airplane nosed over during the landing, which resulted in substantial damage to the engine firewall. Downloaded engine monitoring data showed the No.6 cylinder stopped operating, followed by the Nos. 2 and 4 cylinders, consistent with the pilot’s statement. Oil was found on the belly of the airplane during initial examination. The data showed that the cruise power setting during the accident flight was 0.1 inches of mercury above the maximum cruise power setting listed in the flight manual. The recorded fuel flow was also above that expected for the maximum cruise power setting at the altitude flown. During detailed teardown examinations of the engine, all six piston heads were found with various degrees of pitting damage. The most significant damage was found on the No. 2, 4, and 6 pistons. The damage found was consistent with detonation. The connecting rods exhibited thermal damage and the oil sump and oil filter contained aluminum particles. The fuel distribution spider valve and the fuel injectors were found normal and not obstructed. The metal fragments from the piston heads most likely obstructed the oil journals in the crankshaft and prevented oil from reaching the connecting rods and bearings. Thermal damage found within the rods and bearings of the engine likely resulted from the oil starvation. Review of the engine logbooks did not reveal any uncorrected mechanical defects. The loss of engine power was likely due to detonation that damaged the piston heads and resulted in their subsequent failure.
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 approach defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng cyl section › Failure
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng oil sys › Damaged/degraded
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,688 hours in all; 171 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,110 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 15, 2021
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental TSIO-550-K (piston); 1,110 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FAR Fargo ND at 8:40 pm
- Destination: MOT Minot ND
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 16 knots
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 3°F (-16°C), dew point -9°F (-23°C)
- Altimeter: 30.27 inHg
- Observation at 3:22 pm from MOT, 1 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
6 documents, released by the NTSB on April 10, 2024. 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 | Memorandum for the Record Engine Examination Findings CEN22LA144 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandum for the Record Engine Logbook Summary with Supporting Excerpts CEN22LA144 | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Engine Performance Data Tables CEN22LA144 | data file | Download |
| 4 | Excerpts from Flight Manual CEN22LA144 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Photo Array CEN22LA144 | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Certificate of Party Representative Continental CEN22LA144 | PDF, 1 page | 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.