Cirrus Design Corp. SR-20 accident near St. Bonifacius, Minnesota, September 19, 2001
On September 19, 2001 at about 1:30 pm local time, a Cirrus Design Corp. SR-20, registered N747TW, was substantially damaged in an accident near St. Bonifacius, Minnesota. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Improper servicing of the airplane by other maintenance personnel, inadequate inspection of the airplane by the other maintenance personnel prior to the airplane's flight, and the unsuitable terrain encountered during the forced landing. Factors relating to the accident were the oil exhaustion, the low ceiling providing the pilot little time to select a field once the airplane was beneath the clouds, the pilot not following proper emergency procedures requiring use of full flaps for the forced landing, and the corn crop.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 19, 2001 · about 1:30 pm local time
- Place
- St. Bonifacius, Minnesota · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cirrus Design Corp. SR-20
- Registration
- N747TW · registry record · serial 1139
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said that 3-5 minutes after leveling off at 3,000 feet, a red oil light appeared on the instrument panel. The pilot said he looked over at the oil pressure gauge. It read zero pressure. The pilot said that the engine started missing. He contacted departure control and informed them he had an emergency with no oil pressure. The pilot said, "Departure asked if I wanted [the] ILS for Flying Cloud [Airport], which was 12-13 mile[s] away." The pilot said it was too far and decided to go for Waconia. The pilot said he set up for best glide airspeed and informed departure that he was still in the weather. The pilot said that at 2,000 feet, he noticed smoke begin to appear from the cowling. The pilot said he broke out of the clouds approximately 800 feet agl. The pilot said he set the airplane down in a cornfield, slid approximately 70 feet, and came to a stop. An examination of the airplane's engine revealed 3 punctures in the top of the crankcase at cylinder numbers 1, 2, and 4. A 2-inch diameter piece of the crankcase rested on top of the engine. The oil drain plug was absent. The threads at the oil drain port showed no damage or evidence of safety wiring. The oil dip stick and oil filter showed heat damage. A film of oil was observed on the firewall. There was no evidence of oil in the engine. No other anomalies were found. A mechanic for the airplane's owner said that he started an oil change on the airplane a week before the accident. The mechanic said that while performing the oil change he noticed damage to the airplane's nose gear. The mechanic said he abandoned the oil change. He said at that time he didn't have safety wire or a new crush washer for the drain plug. He left the airplane in that condition. He said it was the last time he saw the airplane. A second mechanic said that the day before the accident he and his partner repaired the nose gear and completed the work on the airplane. The mechanic said, "I vividly remember checking the safety on the oil filter. I cannot remember the condition of the oil drain plug. We cowled the powerplant and conducted a leak check." The mechanic said that the pilot ran the engine for approximately 1 minute. It was then inspected for leaks. No leaks were found. The POH narrative for Forced Landings states, "For forced landings on unprepared surfaces, use full flaps if possible." No reference to flap position is cited in the checklist steps. The flaps were up at the accident site.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 431 hours in all; 16 in this make and model; 11 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 371 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 28, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 190 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, September 19, 2001; 185 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-360-ES(6B) (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MIC Minneapolis NC at 12:55 pm
- Destination: RAP Rapid City SD
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 030° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 1.5 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,100 ft; a few clouds at 900 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.89 inHg
- Observation at 1:02 pm from FCM, 19 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
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.