Flight History
On March 20, 2008, about 1600 eastern daylight time, a Cirrus Design SR22, registration N615WM, crashed into trees while turning base to final approach to runway 6 at Aero Plantation Airport (NC21), near Waxhaw, North Carolina. The pilot was killed and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The flight was conducted as a personal flight under 14 CFR Part 91 without a flight plan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time. The flight departed from Pilot's Ridge Airport (03NC) in Carolina Beach, North Carolina, about 1515.
A witness reported that the pilot announced his landing intentions over the common traffic advisory frequency. The airplane approached from the south at about 800 feet, crossed mid-field, and entered a left downwind for runway 6. When the witness contacted the pilot via handheld radio, the pilot replied "I'm turning base." Shortly after, the witness heard the impact.
Local pilots noted that runway 6/24 at NC21 is 2,400 feet long and 40 feet wide with a "big hump" in the middle, and that the surrounding terrain favors landing on runway 24 and takeoffs on runway 6.
Personnel Information
The 51-year-old pilot held a private pilot certificate with single-engine land rating, updated March 23, 2000, and a third-class medical certificate issued November 16, 2007, with a requirement for corrective lenses for near vision. His logbook from March 6, 1997, to March 11, 2008, showed approximately 604.3 total flight hours, all in single-engine land aircraft. He had 313.8 hours as dual flight (though not all entries included instructor signatures), 22.4 hours actual instrument, and 5.7 hours simulated instrument. In the previous 90 days he logged 25.8 hours, 11.6 hours in the preceding 30 days, and 0 hours in the last 24 hours. He completed a Cirrus SR22 training course on July 1, 2006, with 10.6 hours, and had approximately 142.8 hours in a Cirrus SR20 and 248.4 hours in a Cirrus SR22.
Aircraft Information
The 2006 Cirrus Design SR22 was a four-seat, low-wing, fixed-gear airplane powered by a Teledyne Continental Motors IO-550-N 310-horsepower engine with a Hartzell constant-speed propeller. The last annual inspection was performed on June 11, 2007, at a Hobbs meter time of 300.2 hours for both engine and airframe. The Hobbs meter at the accident site read 501.0 hours.
Meteorological Information
The nearest weather reporting station, Monroe Regional Airport (EQY) about 6.5 nautical miles at 076 degrees, reported wind from 310 degrees at 11 knots gusting to 20 knots; visibility 10 statute miles; clear sky; temperature 16°C, dew point -3°C; altimeter 30.07 inches of mercury. Remarks noted a peak wind at 1516 of 330 degrees at 27 knots.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The wreckage was located about 2,000 feet short of runway 6's approach end in a wooded area behind a residence. Broken tree branches were found atop a 70-foot tree, with additional debris along a path oriented about 035 degrees. The main wreckage rested at the base of a 15-inch diameter oak tree, about 120 feet from the initial tree strike, at 34°59.18'N, 080°45.46'W. No ground scars existed before the main impact. All flight control surfaces, engine, propeller, and Cirrus Airplane Parachute System (CAPS) components were present.
The CAPS had deployed and its rocket motor expended, but the parachute remained in its deployment bag with all but two loops of packed suspension lines extracted. The rocket motor was entangled in tree branches about 25 feet above ground, about 35 feet behind the main wreckage.
The wing was severely damaged, with the spar fractured and buckled around the tree. Fuel tanks were compromised. Flaps were in the up position, and the roll trim was full left. Control cable continuity was confirmed for aileron, rudder, and elevator, with the rudder and elevator still attached. The nose landing gear was buckled aft, but main gear remained attached. No airframe anomalies were noted.
The engine remained partially attached, with damage and partial burial. Spark plugs showed normal wear. Borescope inspection of cylinders revealed no anomalies. Fuel injectors and lines were unobstructed, and the fuel manifold valve was clean and contained fuel. Magnetos produced spark. The oil sump had a gouge and small puncture. No preimpact engine failures were identified.
The propeller blades were all broken at the hub. Blade one bent aft from root to tip with directional scratches; blades two and three bent aft midway. Chordwise and multi-directional scratches were present on blade faces, with leading edge damage on outboard halves.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy performed on March 21, 2008, by the North Carolina Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined the cause of death as blunt force trauma. Forensic toxicology by the FAA Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory found no carbon monoxide, cyanide, or ethanol. However, diphenhydramine (0.019 ug/ml in blood, detected in urine), pseudoephedrine (in urine), and zolpidem (0.015 ug/ml in blood and urine) were present. Diphenhydramine and pseudoephedrine are over-the-counter medications for allergy symptoms; zolpidem is a prescription sedative (Ambien).
Tests and Research
The Avidyne system's multi-function display with GPS was downloaded by the NTSB. Data from the last recorded hit indicated an altitude of 838 feet, vertical speed -444 feet per minute, indicated airspeed 60.3 knots, pitch attitude 4.98 degrees up, and left roll of -31.73 degrees.
The Cirrus Design Pilot Operating Handbook listed stall speed for flaps up with a 30-degree bank at 75 KIAS, and 70 KIAS in level flight.