Cirrus SR20 accident near Orlando, Florida, March 18, 2006
On March 18, 2006 at about 5:45 pm local time, a Cirrus SR20, registered N777YM, was substantially damaged in an accident near Orlando, Florida (Executive Airport). 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
Catastrophic engine failure due to a low oil level brought about by excessive blow-by and cylinder detonation. Contributing factors in this accident were the inadequate instructions contained in Service Bulletin M89-9 and the ditch.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 18, 2006 · about 5:45 pm local time
- Place
- Orlando, Florida · Executive Airport
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cirrus SR20 · all SR20s on the register
- Registration
- N777YM · no longer on the register · serial 1393
- 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 he was on the downwind leg for runway 07 when he observed the engine oil pressure caution light illuminate. Shortly thereafter, the engine lost power. He declared an emergency and landed on runway 13, touching down two-thirds down the runway. The airplane overran the end of the runway and struck a ditch. Eight hours before the accident flight, the owner/operator attempted to determine why there was a low oil quantity and oil was being vented out of the crankcase breather. An airframe and powerplant (A&P) mechanic examined the engine and could find no oil leaks. He also performed a cylinder compression check as outlined in Teledyne Continental Motors' (TCM) Service Bulletins M89-9, "Excessive Crankcase Pressures." No discrepancies were noted. The engine, a Teledyne Continental IO-360-ES (serial number 1393), was disassembled and examined. According to TCM's report, "The connecting rod assemblies exhibited thermal discoloration. The connecting rod bearings exhibited lubrication distress and thermal smearing of the surface babbit, exposing the copper layer. The number four piston head exhibited preignition/detonation damage. The thermal damage had penetrated through the interior of the piston. Portions of the piston rings were missing from thermal damage. The piston pin was intact. The pin plug was damaged from extreme thermal exposure." The magnetos were functionally checked and tested satisfactorily. The 12 spark plugs were also tested. Core nose cracks on five of the 12 spark plugs were attributed to detonation "but did not cause any side effects detrimental to normal engine operation." TCM's Service Bulletin M89-9, entitled "Excessive Crankcase Pressures," requires only a "differential pressure test of the cylinders" to check for cylinder preignition/detonation and excessive blow-by, and does not contain the verbiage contained in TCM's SB03-3, "Differential Pressure Test and Borescope Inspection Procedures for Cylinders."
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
- Flight time: 94 hours in all; 93 in this make and model; 21 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 14 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 632 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 1, 2006
- Maximum gross weight: 3,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Teledyne Continental IO-360 ES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PMP Pompano FL at 4:15 pm
- Destination: ORL Orlando FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 13, 4,638 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from ORL
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.