Summary
On September 25, 2013, about 1715 central daylight time, a Cirrus SR20 airplane, registration N406DC, impacted terrain after a go-around at Bolingbrook's Clow International Airport (1C5), Bolingbrook, Illinois. The pilot and one passenger sustained fatal injuries. The airplane was destroyed.
Flight History
The flight originated from Georgetown Scott County Airport (27K), Kentucky, at 1505 eastern daylight time, en route to 1C5. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and the flight operated without a flight plan. The pilot maintained contact with air traffic control throughout the flight, receiving multiple altitude and frequency changes.
Surveillance video captured the landing attempt on runway 18. The airplane touched down multiple times at least halfway down the runway, then took off and made a left turn. It descended out of the camera's view. Witnesses reported the airplane departed the runway, turned left at low altitude, and continued descending with wings nearly level. After flying over a building, the left wing struck a tree and a light pole before impacting terrain next to a building. A postimpact fire ensued, consuming most of the airplane.
A witness, a Federal Aviation Administration Designated Pilot Examiner, observed the landing and go-around. The airplane touched down three-fifths to three-quarters down the runway and bounced. After the bounce, the pilot increased engine power, began to climb, then rolled left. The pilot appeared to regain control and level the wings before disappearing from view.
Another witness, an off-duty fire department lieutenant, saw the airplane flying eastbound at low altitude with wings nearly perpendicular to the ground. He observed large plumes of black smoke. Upon arriving at the wreckage, he spoke with the pilot, who stated he was flying from Kentucky, his speed was too fast on the first landing approach, so he executed a go-around. The pilot said that while banking, he lost power and control of the airplane. The pilot succumbed to his injuries hours later at a hospital.
Aircraft and Pilot Information
The Cirrus SR20 was a four-seat, low-wing, fixed-gear, single-engine airplane manufactured in 2004. It was powered by a Continental Motors IO-360-ES engine rated at 210 horsepower, driving a three-blade Hartzell propeller. An annual inspection was completed on January 10, 2013, at 1,399 hours on the Hobbs meter.
The pilot, age 63, held a private pilot certificate for airplane single-engine land. On November 11, 2011, he applied for a third-class limited medical certificate, reporting 200 total flight hours and 40 hours in the preceding six months. As of December 31, 2012, the pilot reported 299 total flight hours to his insurance provider.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The accident site was located 0.2 nautical miles east of the departure end of runway 18, at an elevation of 661 feet. The airplane descended toward a bank building, colliding with a tree top and a light pole. It impacted the ground next to a small tree, coming to rest upright on a heading of 350 degrees. The engine separated from the fuselage and continued into the parking lot. Slash marks were present in the dirt near the main wreckage. A postimpact fire consumed most of the airplane.
Examination revealed a 4-foot outboard section of the right wing tip separated. The left aileron was partially fire-damaged but recognizable. The cowling and engine mount separated from the fuselage and were not fire-damaged. The nose landing gear remained attached to the cowling; the main landing gear was fire-damaged. Rudder and elevator control cables were separated in tension overload. The right aileron control cable was separated; left aileron cable continuity was confirmed. Elevator trim position could not be determined; roll trim was between neutral and full left trim. Flaps were likely in the full up position.
The Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS) rocket and parachute were found in the main wreckage. The CAPS activation handle position could not be verified due to thermal damage. The parachute was packed and thermally damaged. The rocket propellant was expended. The CAPS activation cable showed no stretching.
Engine Examination and Testing
The engine was examined at Continental Motors on December 17, 2013. External impact damage was concentrated to the aft and underside. The left magneto sustained impact damage; bench testing and disassembly revealed no anomalies. The engine was subjected to functional testing in a test cell per manufacturer procedures. The engine started and ran with no anomalies noted.
Medical and Pathological Information
Autopsy determined the cause of death for the pilot was thermal injuries. Toxicology testing detected fentanyl, lidocaine, and midazolam in the pilot's blood and liver, which were administered during medical treatment after the accident. The passenger's cause of death was also thermal injuries; toxicology found 22% carbon monoxide in the blood.
Additional Data
The Avidyne Primary Flight Display and Multi-Function Display were damaged by fire, and data could not be recovered. Radar data showed the pilot contacted ATC after departure, requested flight following, and was advised to maintain VFR. At 1712:26, the pilot began a descent from 2,100 feet. The last radar return was at 1713:08, at 500 feet AGL, 0.4 nautical miles north of the runway 18 threshold. On final approach, the average rate of descent was 1,301 feet per minute, average ground speed 117 knots.