History of Flight
On October 24, 2011, at approximately 1135 central daylight time, a Cirrus SR22T single-engine airplane, registration N227TX, sustained substantial damage when it impacted terrain following a loss of engine power while maneuvering near Carrollton, Texas. The private pilot and one passenger sustained serious injuries, and a second passenger sustained fatal injuries. The airplane was co-owned and operated by the pilot. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed for the personal flight under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The flight departed Addison Airport (ADS), Dallas, Texas, at 1058 and was destined for Houston, Texas.
According to PlaneSmart Aviation, LLC, the company that managed the airplane, on August 24, 2011, the pilot requested a reservation for October 25 and 26 and asked that the airplane be fueled to the "tabs or better." On September 6, the departure date was changed to October 24. On October 19, a PlaneSmart staff pilot flew the airplane to Cincinnati and back, reporting 9.8 gallons of fuel on board at shutdown. The airplane was not flown again until the accident flight.
A Landmark Aviation line service technician fueled the airplane on October 18 with 51.8 gallons. On October 21, a PlaneSmart representative requested N227TX be filled "to the tabs +5" by 2000. The technician could not locate the airplane and moved the request to October 22; later he cancelled it. There was no record of fueling prior to the accident flight.
PlaneSmart representatives noted the pilot arrived around 1000 on the accident day, waiting for two individuals. The airplane was observed taxiing from a shaded parking stall.
Air traffic control communications, radar data, and the airplane's recoverable data module (RDM) showed that at 1043 the engine started and a white advisory alert for left fuel quantity illuminated. At 1056, an amber FUEL QTY caution illuminated when both tanks dropped below 14 gallons. At 1058, the airplane was cleared for takeoff on runway 15.
At 1110, the pilot requested a direct route back to ADS due to a rough running engine. He did not declare an emergency at that time. At 1118, the approach controller asked if ground assistance was needed; the pilot said no. At 1123, the ADS tower asked similarly; the pilot said no. At 1124, the tower issued a low altitude alert while on the ILS approach to runway 15. The pilot stated he would execute a missed approach. After vectors for a second ILS approach, at 1133:03 the pilot reported no glideslope indication and needed another missed approach. At 1133:21, he declared an emergency and requested vectors. At 1134:35, RDM data indicated deployment of the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS). Last radar contact was at 1134:41 at 600 feet msl; last RDM data at 1134:44 at 593 feet msl.
Witnesses observed the airplane flying low with a sputtering engine, then a left turn, parachute deployment, and impact into a ditch adjacent to a railroad track near a high school.
Personnel Information
The pilot, age 40, held a private pilot certificate with single-engine land and instrument ratings. His third-class medical certificate was issued December 10, 2009, with no limitations. He reported 550 total flight hours, 209 hours in the accident make/model, and 35 actual instrument hours. PlaneSmart records showed 87.8 hours in Cirrus Garmin Perspective equipped airplanes.
Aircraft Information
The airplane was a 2010 Cirrus SR22T, serial number 0029, a four-place, single-engine, low-wing composite airplane with a Garmin Perspective PFD and MFD. It was powered by a Continental Motors TSIO-550-K, 315-horsepower engine and a Hartzell propeller. The standard airworthiness certificate was issued September 23, 2010, and registration to the owners on April 21, 2011. The most recent annual inspection was completed October 14, 2011, at 474.2 total hours. At the accident, the flight meter showed 487.8 total hours.
Total fuel capacity was 94.5 gallons (47.25 per tank); usable fuel was 92.0 gallons. Fuel quantity was sensed by level sensors and displayed on a Rochester fuel gauge. Fuel flow was measured upstream of the throttle metering valve. Fuel used was calculated by integrating flow; fuel remaining was not recorded. Low fuel alerts included a white advisory when either tank dropped below 14 gallons for 60 seconds, an amber caution when both tanks were below 14 gallons, and a red warning when totalizer fuel was below 9 gallons (based on pilot-confirmed initial fuel quantity).
Meteorological Information
At 1147, the ADS automated weather observing system reported wind from 230 degrees at 4 knots, visibility 3 miles, ceiling broken at 1,400 feet agl, haze, temperature 19°C, dew point 18°C, and altimeter 30.23 inHg.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The accident site was adjacent to a railroad track at a GPS elevation of 593 feet msl. The initial ground scar contained a separated section of the right wing tip. The right wing was separated and came to rest between the scar and main wreckage. The main wreckage consisted of the engine, left wing, fuselage, and empennage. Two of three composite propeller blades were separated at the hub. The CAPS parachute was partially deployed in the debris field. The wreckage path was about 220 feet long on a bearing of 015 degrees magnetic.
The left wing remained attached, with flight control continuity to flap and aileron. No fuel was evident in the left tank. The right wing was separated; no fuel in the right tank. The empennage was fractured but attached via control cables. The fuselage was crushed; left door locking mechanism engaged. Forward seat pans were crushed; restraint airbags deployed. Throttle and mixture were full forward; fuel boost pump on; fuel selector valve in right tank position; flap actuator in flaps up. The CAPS handle was pulled.
The engine was partially separated; propeller rotated by hand with mechanical continuity. No evidence of fuel spill or foliage blight was found the day after the accident.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy on the passenger performed by the Tarrant County Medical Examiner on October 25, 2011, reported the cause of death as craniocervical dislocation due to being a backseat passenger in a small airplane that crashed. Toxicological specimens were not retained from the pilot.
Test and Research
The RDM in the tail recorded flight data at 1 Hz. Seven SD cards were recovered; one contained 445 flight data files dating back to January 2011. Accident flight data showed both navigation radios tuned to 110.10 MHz (ADS runway 15 ILS) for the entire flight. Data for four prior flights showed fuel usage: October 20 (82.4 gal), October 19 (78.5 gal), October 16 (51.4 gal), October 14 (43.5 gal). On October 19, a brief engine power back cycle on the ground lasted 2 minutes using 0.1 gallons.
On December 6, 2011, an engine examination and functional test were conducted at Continental Motors. Due to impact damage, several components were replaced or cleaned. The engine was test run at various power settings; no anomalies were noted that would have precluded normal operation.