Cirrus Design CORP SR22 incident near Elkin, North Carolina, June 9, 2009
On June 9, 2009, a Cirrus Design CORP SR22, registered N34TG, suffered minor damage in an incident during enroute (cruise) near Elkin, North Carolina. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A total loss of engine power due to the failure of the No. 2 piston as a result of a fatigue crack of undetermined origin.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 9, 2009
- Place
- Elkin, North Carolina · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cirrus Design CORP SR22
- Registration
- N34TG · registry record · serial 0386
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that he was at a cruise altitude of 6,000 feet mean sea level when he heard a loud bang. Oil began to flow over the windshield and the pilot decided to activate the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System. The airplane descended under the parachute into a cornfield. Examination of the engine revealed the No. 2 piston had failed. Metallurgical examination of the No. 2 piston showed it had failed due to a fatigue crack that originated adjacent to the piston pin in the pin boss area. The exact location of the fatigue crack and the cause of fatigue crack initiation could not be determined due to extensive damage in the area of origin. Damage to the other components submitted for examination likely occurred as a result of the failure of the piston once the fatigue crack reached a critical size. While the pin boss is an area under high stress and it is possible that operational factors, such as improper timing, could initiate a fatigue crack, the investigation could not determine the cause of the fatigue crack.
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
- Powerplant sys/comp malf/fail during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute (cruise)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng cyl section › Malfunction
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,531 hours in all; 900 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 2,500 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 928 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 30, 2008; 52 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor IO-550 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Obi-1 At Pensacola INC
The flight
- Departed from: 47N Manville NJ at 9:15 pm
- Destination: SPA Spartanburg SC
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 010° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 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.