Cirrus SR22 accident near Sand Creek, Wisconsin, November 21, 2018
On November 21, 2018 at about 4:45 pm local time, a 2008 Cirrus SR22, registered N579CP, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Sand Creek, Wisconsin. It was a ferry 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
The mechanic's failure to properly secure the air reference line, which resulted in a 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
- November 21, 2018 · about 4:45 pm local time
- Place
- Sand Creek, Wisconsin · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cirrus SR22 Undesignat, built 2008 · all SR22s on the register
- Registration
- N579CP · registry record · serial 3291
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Ferry flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, during a ferry flight, while climbing the airplane to cruise altitude, the engine temperatures increased quickly and that the engine then surged. The pilot added that he "switched" the boost pump, adjusted the mixture lever, and then deployed the ballistic parachute system at 3,500 ft mean sea level. During the off-airport landing in a field, the airplane impacted an irrigation sprinkler system. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. Postaccident examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed that two air lines were disconnected and that there were no torque lines on the lines. According to the FAA inspector, the pilot and a mechanic who had conducted the airplane's last maintenance reported that the airplane had been flown 7 hours since the last maintenance. The mechanic had replaced three cylinders during the maintenance, which required removal of the air lines. It is likely that, during the maintenance, the mechanic did not properly secure the air reference line, which led to a loss of engine power.
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
- Miscellaneous/other during enroute
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute defining event
- Miscellaneous/other during landing
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › (general) › Incorrect service/maintenance
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine fuel and control › Fuel press sensor › Incorrect service/maintenance
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › (general) › Maintenance personnel
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Post maintenance inspection › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Preflight inspection › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › (general) › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,200 hours in all; 3,500 in this make and model; 110 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 4,000 as pilot in command; 2,000 on instruments
- Last flight review: April 4, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,425 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 14, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Tcm IO-550-N-51B (piston); 1,426 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: UBE Cumberland WI at 4:30 pm
- Destination: CAK Akron OH
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 9,500 ft
- Temperature: 19°F (-7°C), dew point 10°F (-12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.37 inHg
- Observation at 4:35 pm from KRPD, 13 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
6 documents, released by the NTSB on April 25, 2019. 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 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Pictures | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Lawyer Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | FAA Record of Conversation | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Engine Data from Accident Flight | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Caps Guide | PDF, 4 pages | 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.