Cirrus Design CORP SR22 incident near Burlington, Massachusetts, June 11, 2014
On June 11, 2014 at about 5:31 pm local time, a 2008 Cirrus Design CORP SR22, registered N813JE, suffered minor damage in an incident during approach near Burlington, Massachusetts (Laurence G Hanscom Fld airport). It was an instructional 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
A loss of clamping load of the No. 5 cylinder crankcase through bolts due to maintenance personnel’s failure to properly torque the through bolts during recent maintenance, which resulted in displacement of the No. 2 bearing and the subsequent catastrophic engine failure.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 11, 2014 · about 5:31 pm local time
- Place
- Burlington, Massachusetts · Laurence G Hanscom Fld · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cirrus Design CORP SR22, built 2008
- Registration
- N813JE · registry record · serial 3107
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor reported that he and the pilot receiving instruction had completed a local instructional flight and were returning to the departure airport. While the airplane was about 1,700 ft mean sea level, the engine began running roughly and subsequently lost all power. The pilot receiving instruction immediately handed over the flight controls to the flight instructor. The flight instructor attempted to maneuver the airplane to a field for a forced landing but realized that the airplane would not be able to reach the field, so the pilots activated the ballistic parachute system. After the parachute deployed, the airplane touched down in an area of dense vegetation. Postincident examination of the engine revealed that the crankshaft had fractured at the No. 2 main journal and that the camshaft had fractured between the Nos. 2 and 3 main bearing supports. The No. 2 main bearing had shifted, and fretting was present on the main bearing supports, consistent with a loss of clamping load on the crankcase, which resulted in movement of the No. 2 bearing and excessive loading on, and the ultimate failure of, the crankshaft. The nuts securing the No. 5 cylinder to its two crankcase through bolts had less torque than that specified by the engine manufacturer's installation guidance, and it is possible that the loss of clamping load on the crankcase was due to a loss of torque to the adjacent No. 5 cylinder crankcase through bolts. According to maintenance records, the No. 5 cylinder had been removed and replaced about 4 months, or 27 flight hours, before the accident. Although the logbook entry indicated that the through bolts were torqued "from each side to [the engine manufacturer's] specifications," it is likely that, while replacing the No. 5 cylinder, maintenance personnel did not properly torque the cylinder crankcase through bolts, which resulted in displacement of the No. 2 bearing and the catastrophic failure 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 approach defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- 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 › Incorrect service/maintenance
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Installation › Maintenance personnel
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft handling/service › Maintenance/inspections › (general) › Incorrect service/maintenance
Flight instructor
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,983 hours in all; 328 in this make and model; 233 in the last 90 days; 102 in the last 30 days; 6,600 as pilot in command; 5,920 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 6, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,511 hours in all; 377 in this make and model; 105 in the last 90 days; 42 in the last 30 days; 2,443 as pilot in command; 1,714 on instruments
- Last flight review: November 26, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,320 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 4, 2014; 28 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor IO-550-N (piston); 1,320 hours total
- Operator: East Coast Aeroclub, Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: BED Bedford MA at 4:45 pm
- Destination: BED Bedford MA
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 11,000 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.17 inHg
- Observation at 5:30 pm from BED, 3 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 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.