Accident Overview
On July 26, 2008, at approximately 1545 central daylight time, a Cirrus Design Corp. SR22, registration N620SR, was destroyed when it impacted terrain during an aborted landing on runway 29 at Watertown Municipal Airport (RYV) near Watertown, Wisconsin. The personal flight was conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 in visual meteorological conditions. No flight plan was on file. The private pilot and a passenger sustained serious injuries and were transported to a hospital. The flight had originated about 1445 from Foster Field Airport near Apple River, Illinois, and was destined for RYV.
Pilot and Aircraft Information
The pilot held a FAA private pilot certificate with an airplane single-engine land rating and a third-class medical certificate issued November 27, 2007. He had attended Cirrus SR22 factory training in January 2008 and recorded 234.8 total flight hours in his logbook. The aircraft was a four-place, single-engine, low-wing airplane powered by a Teledyne Continental Motors IO-550-N engine rated at 310 horsepower, driving a three-bladed Hartzell constant-speed propeller.
Sequence of Events
The pilot reported entering a full traffic pattern for runway 29. He stated the approach was at 70 to 80 knots and looked good until the runway numbers. During the flare, the mains touched first and the airplane “bounced like a ball straight up, really high.” He elected to let the airplane settle and added a little power to stop the bounce. The airplane bounced again, and he did not add power. After a third bounce, approximately two-thirds down the runway, he performed a go-around. The engine responded immediately to full power, but he realized he was “low and slow” and not gaining lift. He thought he stalled the aircraft and impacted with full power. The pilot did not recall if the seat belt airbags deployed.
A witness, an airline pilot, observed the aftermath. After the crash, he cautioned bystanders about the rocket installed for the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS). The line crew removed the occupants before emergency medical services arrived. As the airframe burned, three pops (apparently tires) were heard, then a large explosion scattered debris. The witness noted the oxygen tank and rocket later cooked off, with the rocket launching about 35 feet into the air and landing in grass near the departure end of runway 29.
Wreckage and Weather
An on-scene examination by an FAA inspector and an aircraft manufacturer’s safety representative revealed no pre-impact anomalies. The aircraft contained non-volatile memory chips in the avionics, but they were damaged in the fire and no data could be recovered. At 1535, the recorded weather at RYV was: wind 290 degrees at 10 knots; visibility 10 statute miles; sky clear; temperature 27°C; dew point 17°C; altimeter 29.96 inches of mercury.
Post-Accident Actions
The pilot was interviewed by telephone with an FAA inspector and provided the account described above.