History of Flight
On March 19, 2011, at approximately 1158 mountain standard time, a Cirrus SR-22, registration N329SM, was substantially damaged during an attempted balked landing at Falcon Field (FFZ) in Mesa, Arizona. The aircraft veered off runway 22L and struck an unoccupied, parked Cessna 172 (N2359Z), which also sustained substantial damage. The private pilot/owner, two passengers, and two dogs aboard the Cirrus were not injured, and no persons on the ground were injured. The flight was conducted under Part 91 in visual meteorological conditions with a VFR flight plan filed and activated.
The flight originated from Steamboat Springs Airport (SBS), Colorado, and was the return leg of a trip. The pilot, seated in the left front seat, had his 12-year-old grandson in the right front seat and his wife and two dogs in the rear. The pilot utilized ATC flight following for most of the trip and was cleared to land on runway 22L.
The pilot initially stated that the approach was unremarkable, but during the landing flare the airplane “buoyed up,” leading him to abort the landing. He informed the tower and added power, but the engine “lost power” about 5 to 6 feet above ground level (agl). In a later interview, the pilot said the airplane “floated a little” in ground effect, he “felt something he didn’t like,” then aborted by advancing throttle and retracting flaps. The airplane began to sink and struck the runway. In a written account, he noted an “unusual amount” of ground effect and that adding power to overcome it failed; during the go-around the airplane “didn't get any lift.”
An air traffic control tower controller who was not working the Cirrus observed the balked landing, noting the airplane reached an estimated 50 to 75 feet agl with a constant pitch attitude before the climb “flattened out.” He saw the left wing drop and a left turn begin. The airplane contacted the runway, veered left toward the ramp, and slid into the parked Cessna. A pilot pre-flighting the Cessna heard scraping, saw the Cirrus sliding toward him and his two passengers, and they ran to safety. The Cessna pilot noted the Cirrus appeared to be missing its nose gear and at least one main gear.
Personnel Information
The pilot held a private pilot certificate with a single-engine airplane land rating. He reported 509 total flight hours, including 208 hours in the accident aircraft. His most recent FAA third-class medical certificate was issued in October 2009, and his most recent flight review was completed in December 2010.
Aircraft Information
The Cirrus was manufactured in 2006 (serial number 2052) and first registered to the pilot in 2008. It was equipped with a Teledyne Continental Motors IO-550 series engine. As of the most recent annual inspection in December 2010, the aircraft had 331 total hours in service.
Meteorological Information
The weather observation at FFZ at 1210 included wind from 260 degrees at 4 knots, visibility 20 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet, temperature 23°C, dew point -13°C, and altimeter 30.00 inches of mercury.
Airport Information
Runway 22L at Falcon Field measured 5,101 feet by 100 feet, paved with asphalt, and was dry at the time of the accident.
Wreckage and Impact Information
Skid marks on the runway were consistent with an approximate midfield touchdown on both main landing gear, followed by a bounce and veer to the left. The marks also indicated a landing gear failure early in the sequence. The Cirrus came to rest upright on the ramp about 3,600 feet from the runway threshold and about 500 feet southeast of the runway centerline. The nose and right main landing gear were fracture-separated; the left main landing gear was displaced aft and outboard. All three propeller blades were bent aft with twist and chordwise scoring, consistent with power at impact. Approximately 5 feet of the right wing leading edge outboard of mid-span was crushed and fractured. Lower fuselage and left wing surfaces were scored and/or fractured. Fuel tanks were intact with fuel present; quantity could not be determined due to aircraft attitude. Wing flaps were fully retracted with little damage. Cabin doors opened and closed readily. Seatbelt airbags and the ballistic parachute were not deployed. No detailed engine examination was conducted. The Cessna's empennage and aft fuselage were crumpled and deformed.
Additional Information
The Cirrus Pilot's Operating Handbook (POH) specified landing with full flaps and balked landings with half flaps. For ambient conditions, total landing distance was about 2,400 feet with a ground roll of about 1,250 feet; available runway length was 5,101 feet. POH balked landing climb gradient was about 1,000 fpm with full flaps, with “significantly better” performance using half flaps and 76 knots. No performance data was provided for zero flaps. POH stall speeds for zero, half, and full flaps were approximately 69, 67, and 60 knots indicated airspeed, respectively.
The FAA Airplane Flying Handbook (AFH) discusses floating during roundout due to excessive airspeed, and notes that ground effect reduces drag, causing floating. The AFH advises executing a go-around if a landing cannot be made on the first third of the runway or if sideways drift occurs. It also states that attempting to climb prematurely in ground effect may result in inability to climb or maintain altitude at full power. Common errors in balked landings include failure to recognize conditions warranting a rejected landing, delay in initiating a go-around, failure to configure appropriately, and attempting to climb out of ground effect prematurely.