NTSB Identification: CHI01LA318

                            Accident occurred Wednesday, September 19, 2001 at St. Bonifacius, MN
                                Aircraft:Cirrus Design Corp. SR-20, registration: N747TW
                                              Injuries: 2 Serious.

   This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been
                                                 completed.

On September 19, 2001, at 0830 central daylight time, a Cirrus SR-20, N747TW, piloted by a private pilot, sustained substantial damage during a forced
landing in a corn field near St. Bonifacius, Minnesota. Prior to the forced landing attempt, the pilot reported that he had lost engine power. Instrument
meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was being conducted on an instrument flight rules plan under the
provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The pilot and passenger on board the airplane sustained serious injuries. The cross-country flight originated at Minneapolis,
Minnesota, at 0755, and was en route to Rapid City, South Dakota.

Federal Aviation Administration inspectors examined the airplane at the accident site. The airplane was resting upright on its belly in a cornfield. A
ground scar preceded the airplane wreckage by approximately 50 feet. The airplane's engine was broken aft at the mounts. The cowling was broken aft. The
forward fuselage was broken aft. The nose wheel and main landing gear were broken aft. A hole was punctured in the left wing at the fuel tank. The
propeller remained attached at the flange. One of the three propeller blades was bent aft. Flight control continuity was confirmed. 

An examination of the engine revealed 3 punctures in the top of the crankcase at cylinders number 1, 2, and 4. A 2-inch diameter piece of the crankcase
rested on top of the engine. The oil drain plug was absent. The threads at the oil drain port showed no damage or evidence of safety wiring. The oil dip stick
and oil filter showed heat damage. A film of oil was observed on the firewall. There was no evidence of oil in the engine. 

An examination of the remaining airplane systems revealed no anomalies.

 
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