History of Flight
On May 29, 2012, about 1258 mountain daylight time, a Cirrus SR20 airplane, N187PG, was substantially damaged following impact with remote mountainous terrain near Duck Creek Village, Utah. The rental airplane was operated by Elite Aviation of the North Las Vegas Airport (VGT), Las Vegas, Nevada. The certified private pilot and three passengers sustained fatal injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the cross-country flight, which was being operated in accordance with 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91, and no flight plan had been filed. The flight departed the Mesquite Airport (67L), about 1114 Pacific daylight time, with Bryce Canyon Airport (BCE), Bryce Canyon, Utah, as its reported destination. The purpose of the flight was for the pilot and his three passengers to fly to Bryce Canyon for a fishing trip; fishing rods, tackle, and fishing licenses were located at the accident site.
The pilot activated a visual flight rules (VFR) flight plan in Las Vegas at 0954 and canceled it after flying clear of McCarran International Airport Class Bravo airspace about 1005. When the airplane departed VGT, it had 41 gallons of aviation fuel on board and was estimated to be over its maximum gross takeoff weight limitation by 210 pounds. After departing VGT, the pilot flew direct to Mesquite Airport (67L), where it landed about 1100. The airplane had consumed 7.6 gallons of fuel during the flight. Prior to departing 67L, the pilot added about 10 gallons of 100LL aviation fuel. The airplane subsequently departed 67L for BCE about 1214, a flight of approximately 105 nautical miles. At the time of departure, the airplane was estimated to be in excess of its maximum takeoff weight by about 225 pounds.
According to radar data, about 1245, the airplane was climbing through 6,600 feet mean sea level (msl) on a northeasterly heading. At 1250, it was ascending through 7,100 feet msl, and at 1254:28 the airplane reached its highest recorded altitude of 7,847 feet msl. Directly in front of the airplane about 4 miles distant was rising terrain; the lowest ridge was 8,470 feet high, with terrain measuring more than 9,000 feet in elevation bordering the ridge on both sides.
Data recovered from the airplane’s Recoverable Data Module (RDM) revealed that about 3 minutes prior to the accident, at 1255:10, the stall warning activated for the majority of the remaining 188 seconds of recorded data. At 1257:57, the airplane began a roll excursion to the left and reached a 54-degree left wing down attitude before briefly recovering to 8 degrees left wing down. The airplane then rolled to the left in a nearly inverted attitude at the end of the data. The airplane was in a climb attitude of between 10 to 15 degrees of pitch until about 1258:11, when it pitched to a 67-degree nose down attitude at the end of the data, which was recorded at 1258:20.
Local law enforcement personnel located the wreckage about 1930 on May 30, 2012. The airplane came to rest inverted on the west face of a mountain ridge, about 100 feet below the top of the crest. An onsite examination revealed that all components necessary for flight were accounted for.
Personnel and Aircraft
The pilot in command (right front seat) was a 44-year-old male holding an Airline Transport Pilot certificate and flight instructor certificate for rotorcraft-helicopter, as well as a private pilot certificate for airplane single-engine land with instrument rating. He accumulated 5,668 total hours, including 5,465 hours in helicopters and 160 hours in airplanes. He had 109.5 hours in Cirrus aircraft, with 43.1 hours in the SR20. His most recent flight in an SR20 prior to the accident was on September 15, 2010. The left front seat occupant was a 31-year-old male holding a commercial pilot certificate with rotorcraft-helicopter ratings and a flight instructor certificate; he did not possess an airplane pilot certificate.
The accident airplane was a Cirrus SR20, serial number 1892, with a four-place, low wing, single-engine design. It was equipped with an Avidyne MFD & PFD, STEC 55X, dual Garmin GNS 430s, and other avionics. The engine was a 210-horsepower Continental IO-360-ES21. The most recent annual inspection was performed on May 3, 2012, at 1,739.6 hours total time, and the most recent 100-hour inspection on May 23, 2012, at 1,839.6 hours.
Weight and Performance
Weight and balance calculations showed the airplane was 207 pounds over the maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) of 3,050 pounds at VGT departure, 221 pounds over at 67L departure, and 177 pounds over near the time of the accident. A performance analysis based on recorded data indicated that just prior to loss of control, the pressure altitude was 7,250 feet msl and outside air temperature 15.5°C. At a weight of 3,227 pounds, the climb performance should have been 375 feet per minute with full power, but recorded engine power was only 108 horsepower, yielding a climb rate of 22 feet per minute at best rate of climb speed (93 knots). However, the airspeed was nearly at stall (73 knots). The stall speed for the SR20 at 3,227 pounds was 71 knots indicated airspeed.
Weather and Wreckage
Weather reporting from Swains Creek, Utah, at 1258 indicated wind from the southwest at 6 mph gusting to 8, temperature 80°F, dew point 23°F, and altimeter 30.21 inches. At Cedar City Regional Airport, about 26 nautical miles northwest, wind was variable at 4 knots gusting to 17, visibility 10 miles, and sky clear. A terminal area forecast for Bryce Canyon Airport predicted wind 220 degrees at 10 knots gusting to 18. No AIRMETS or SIGMETS were in effect.
The main wreckage came to rest inverted at 37°26.101'N, 112°45.899'W, elevation 7,172 feet msl. The initial impact was marked by cut shrubs and a ground scar. Two pine trees were damaged along the debris path. The forward fuselage was heavily damaged, the engine embedded in the ground. Both wings were fractured and separated. The empennage remained mostly intact. The Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS) handle was in the holder, the safety pin not observed; the rocket motor had fired but the parachute did not deploy, with the bridle not unzipped and reefing cutters not activated.
Medical Information
Autopsies determined the cause of death for both pilots as blunt force injuries. Toxicology for the pilot in command was negative for all substances. For the left seat occupant, acetaminophen was detected in blood (2.447 ug/ml).
Flight Data
Flight data from the Primary Flight Display and RDM showed that flaps were retracted after departure. At 1216:30, cylinder head temperature on cylinder 5 reached 453°F (limit 460°F). Engine rpm decreased from about 2450 to 2300 at 1216:40. Engine oil temperature was within 5°F of the 240°F limit for much of the flight. The autopilot was briefly active at 1229:42-1229:45. Stall warning activated at 1255:10 and remained until the end of data. The roll excursion began at 1257:57, leading to the accident.