History of Flight
On September 1, 2012, at about 1105 eastern daylight time, a Cirrus SR22, N221DV, was substantially damaged when it struck trees while attempting to land at Falmouth Airpark (5B6) in Falmouth, Massachusetts. The flight, conducted under 14 CFR Part 91, was an instructional flight originating from Tweed-New Haven Airport (HVN) in New Haven, Connecticut. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed.
The student pilot occupied the left seat, the certified flight instructor (CFI) occupied the right seat, and the student pilot's wife was in a rear seat. The student pilot manipulated the controls and handled radio communications under the CFI's direction. The flight to Falmouth was uneventful. The student pilot obtained weather information near Hyannis, south of Falmouth, and entered the landing pattern by overflying the airport at 3,000 feet, then descending to join the right downwind for runway 7. The landing checklist was completed before turning base.
During the final approach, the CFI pointed to the airspeed indicator, indicating a slower-than-desired speed of 69 knots. The student pilot corrected the speed. Witnesses described the approach as unstable, with rocking wings, and noted a high sink rate after crossing the trees. The airplane veered left, added power, and then touched down in grass left of the runway. It struck a wooden fence, entered woods, and burst into flames. The student pilot's wife unbuckled him and pulled him from the burning wreckage.
Personnel Information
The 24-year-old CFI held a commercial pilot certificate with single-engine land, multi-engine land, and instrument-airplane ratings, as well as a flight instructor certificate with the same ratings. His most recent FAA first-class medical certificate was issued May 1, 2012. He completed Cirrus Standardized Instructor Pilot training on September 29, 2011. Logbook entries through August 13, 2012, listed 1,519 total flight hours, including 1,407 hours of single-engine time and 1,002 hours of instructor time.
The student pilot, age 55, reported 117 hours of flight time at the time of the accident. His logbook was destroyed in the post-crash fire. He held an FAA third-class medical certificate issued February 7, 2012.
Aircraft Information
The 2008-model Cirrus SR22 was purchased by the student pilot in 2012. A pre-buy inspection was completed on March 28, 2012, at 768.2 flight hours, and an annual inspection was completed on April 10, 2012. Additional maintenance by Robinson Aviation included a battery change on August 28, 2012, and an alternator change on August 31, 2012, at 875.9 flight hours.
Meteorological Information
Weather recorded at an air national guard base 4 miles north of the airport at 1055 included few clouds at 1,600 feet, visibility 10 statute miles, wind from 050 degrees true (066 degrees magnetic) at 15 knots gusting to 18 knots, temperature 24°C, dew point 19°C, and altimeter setting 30.02 inches of mercury.
Wreckage and Impact
Skid marks were found in the grass left of the runway, beginning about 80 feet left of the runway and 300 feet from the approach end, heading about 030 degrees magnetic toward woods. The left wing separated upon striking the first large tree, and the airplane came to rest upside down about 80 feet beyond that tree. Most of the airplane was consumed by fire. Flight control continuity was confirmed. The flap actuator indicated flaps were at 50%.
The engine exhibited severe fire damage, and the crankshaft could not be rotated. Two of three propeller blades showed torsional bending; the third blade was straight but had cut into the spinner. The spinner had a concave indentation. Data chips from the primary flight and multifunction displays were not recoverable; the remote data module was thermally damaged and no data could be extracted.
Medical and Toxicological Information
An autopsy on the CFI by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts listed cause of death as inhalation of heated gases and thermal injuries. Toxicological testing by the FAA Forensic Toxicology Research Team found 10% carbon monoxide saturation in heart blood and no detected drugs.
Additional Information
The FAA Advisory Circular 61-115 emphasizes the need for a positive exchange of flight controls between instructors and students to avoid misunderstandings. The FAA Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge describes torque effects including torque reaction, corkscrewing slipstream, gyroscopic precession, and asymmetric loading (P-factor).