Cirrus Design CORP SR22 incident near Northport, Florida, April 3, 2009
On April 3, 2009 at about 10:53 pm local time, a Cirrus Design CORP SR22, registered N509SR, suffered minor damage in an incident during enroute (cruise) near Northport, Florida. It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 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
Inadequate torque on one of the No. 6 connecting rod bolt retaining nuts, which resulted in the connecting rod’s separation from the crankshaft and a subsequent total 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
- April 3, 2009 · about 10:53 pm local time
- Place
- Northport, Florida · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cirrus Design CORP SR22
- Registration
- N509SR · registry record · serial 2180
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
About 10 minutes after takeoff, when the airplane was in level cruise flight, the engine lost power. The pilot performed a forced landing to a road, which resulted in minor damage to the airplane when the right wing impacted a road sign. An initial examination of the engine revealed a hole in the upper deck in the vicinity of the Nos. 5 and 6 pistons. Further examination revealed that both of the No. 6 connecting rod bolts were fractured. One bolt was missing the self-locking nut, and fretting adjacent to the bolt hole on the split-line face of the connecting rod indicates that the bolt was probably not tightened with sufficient torque and backed off the bolt. The bolt then likely backed out of its hole on the connecting rod, enabling the cap to hinge open, and the loading of the other bolt in tension and bending to the point of overstress. The connecting rod then separated from the crankshaft and punched a hole in the crankcase.
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 (cruise) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip engine power section › Incorrect service/maintenance
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Fabrication › Owner/builder
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,077 hours in all; 1,355 in this make and model; 148 in the last 90 days; 60 in the last 30 days; 4,526 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,707 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor IO-550-N (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Satsair LLC
The flight
- Departed from: FMY Fort Myers FL
- Destination: PIE St. Petersburg FL
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 2,300 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from PGD, 15 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
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.