History of Flight
On March 14, 2008, at 2350 eastern daylight time, a Cirrus Design Corp. SR22, N141SR, was destroyed when it impacted mountainous terrain during initial climb from Front Royal-Warren County Airport (FRR), Front Royal, Virginia. The personal flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91 in night marginal visual meteorological conditions. An instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan was filed for the planned flight to Baltimore Washington International Airport (BWI). The certificated private pilot and a passenger were killed. The flight departed FRR at 2348.
The pilot had previously flown IFR from BWI to FRR, landing uneventfully at about 2135. He picked up his son and departed on runway 27. The airplane subsequently impacted a mountain ridge approximately 3 miles west of FRR.
Review of airport surveillance video showed runway lights illuminating at about 2348, followed by lights consistent with the accident airplane rising from runway 27. A fireball was observed on a mountain to the west about 1 minute 20 seconds later. The video recording was later purged before download.
FAA ATC and Lockheed Martin data showed the pilot telephoned the Raleigh/Durham FSS at 1930 requesting a standard weather briefing and filing an IFR flight plan from BWI to FRR. At 2228, he called the Lansing FSS to cancel his IFR plan, advising he landed safely but his mobile phone had died. At 2319, he called the Kankakee FSS to file an IFR flight plan for the return to BWI. At 2324, he telephoned Potomac Clearance Delivery and received an IFR clearance directing him to fly direct to COGAN intersection, climb and maintain 4,000 feet msl, with a release time of 2350 and clearance void time of 2355. No further communications were received.
Potomac TRACON recorded two radar targets with the accident airplane's transponder code: the first at 2348:35 at 1,700 feet msl, the second at 2348:39 at 1,800 feet msl, depicting the airplane approaching a mountain ridge traveling west.
Personnel Information
The pilot, age 54, held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land and instrument airplane. His most recent FAA third-class medical certificate was issued on October 15, 2007, at which time he reported 180 total flight hours. He obtained his instrument rating on September 20, 2006.
His logbook was not recovered, but an aircraft usage log maintained with a partner showed that from August 27, 2006, to March 9, 2008, the pilot flew the accident airplane 113 hours. He flew 13 hours since October 15, 2007, 8.5 hours in the 90-day period preceding the accident, and 4.6 hours in the 30-day period. The log assumed shared pilot-in-command time when both pilots' initials were listed. The pilot's total experience in actual and simulated instrument conditions could not be determined. The usage log did not reveal any previous flights to FRR.
Aircraft Information
The four-seat, low-wing, fixed-gear airplane, serial number 1971, was manufactured in 2006. It was powered by a Teledyne Continental Motors IO-550-N, 310-horsepower engine and equipped with a Hartzell propeller. The pilot owned the airplane, purchased new in 2006. The most recent annual inspection was completed on June 13, 2007, at 157.7 total hours. An airworthiness directive was complied with 9 days before the accident at 267.8 total hours.
Meteorological Information
Winchester Regional Airport (OKV), about 15 miles north of the accident site, reported at 0000: wind from 340 degrees at 4 knots; visibility 3 miles in rain; broken ceiling at 2,400 feet; overcast ceiling at 3,000 feet; temperature 10 degrees Celsius; dew point 8 degrees Celsius; altimeter 29.59 inches of mercury.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airport elevation at FRR was 709 feet msl. The wreckage was on a mountain ridge at about 1,200 feet msl. An approximate 100-foot debris path through trees extended on a 170-degree magnetic course to the main wreckage. Trees ranged from about 60 to 80 feet in height. Portions of the left wing were near the beginning of the debris path; left and right ailerons were near the end. The airplane came to rest inverted on a 340-degree magnetic heading and had been subjected to a postcrash fire. The cockpit and cabin were consumed; the only recognizable instrument recovered was the standby attitude indicator. The Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS) parachute remained stowed, and its charge had burned, consistent with the postcrash fire.
Portions of the right and left elevator, horizontal stabilizer, and empennage were several feet west of the main wreckage. The wing spar was in the main wreckage; the rudder was a few feet south. Flight control continuity was confirmed from the rudder pedals and elevator control torque tube to their respective bellcranks. Aileron control continuity was confirmed from the cockpit area to the left and right inboard flap hinges. The elevator trim motor was destroyed by fire.
The propeller was partially separated from the engine. All three blades exhibited s-bending, chordwise scratching, and leading edge gouging. The engine sustained impact damage; portions of the No. 5 cylinder were separated, and the crankshaft could not be rotated. Top spark plugs were intact and light gray except the No. 5, which was impact-damaged. The fuel manifold contained fuel; its screen was clear. The engine-driven fuel pump coupling was intact and pumped fuel freely when tested. Both magnetos produced spark. Oil was noted throughout the engine.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy of the pilot, performed by the Commonwealth of Virginia on March 18, 2008, listed the cause of death as "Blunt head, torso, and extremity trauma." Toxicological testing by the FAA detected ethanol in the liver, but putrefaction was noted, and the ethanol was determined to be from sources other than ingestion. Testing was negative for drugs.
Tests and Research
The engine multifunction display (MFD) and primary flight display (PFD) were retained for examination. The MFD was damaged and data could not be recovered. The terrain awareness and warning system (TAWS) was destroyed. Data was successfully recovered from the PFD and plotted.
Review of the data showed that for the first half of the 1 minute 20 second flight, the airplane flew runway heading and initially climbed about 900 to 1,000 fpm. About midway, the heading bug was set to approximately runway heading, and vertical speed and pitch attitude began to oscillate. Over about 25 seconds, vertical speed decreased to near zero, then increased to about 2,200 fpm up, then decreased and settled around 700 to 750 fpm up. The vertical speed indicator bug changed from 0 to 700 fpm, remaining there for about 16 seconds, then changed to 850 fpm. In controlled flight just prior to impact, the airplane was climbing and accelerating, reaching a pressure altitude of about 2,200 feet msl and an indicated airspeed of 140 knots. About 6 seconds before the end of the recording, the airplane began a steep descending turn to the left, with roll attitude reaching a peak of 95 degrees left wing down and pitch attitude about 27 degrees nose down.
Before takeoff, the "Desired Course" parameter was set to about 050 degrees, where it remained throughout the flight, consistent with a magnetic course from FRR to COGAN. Just after takeoff roll, the GPS waypoint COGAN was selected. The primary navigation source was GPS No. 1. The airplane did not fly toward COGAN, consistent with the GPSS mode of the autopilot not being selected.