Accident Overview
On December 16, 2015, at 0935 eastern standard time, a Cirrus SR20, registration N614CD, was substantially damaged during impact with terrain after the Cirrus Airplane Parachute System (CAPS) was deployed following a loss of control. The accident occurred near Charles Town, West Virginia. The flight instructor and student pilot were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the instructional flight, which departed Leesburg Executive Airport (JYO), Leesburg, Virginia, around 0915 and was destined for Winchester Regional Airport (OKV), Winchester, Virginia. The airplane was operated by Atlantic Airways under 14 CFR Part 91.
Flight Crew Details
The flight instructor had a total flight experience of 1,747 hours, with 131 hours in the same make and model as the accident airplane. He reported that the training flight was planned to include slow flight, stalls, simulated engine failure, and landings. The student pilot, who had a total flight experience of 81 hours (19 hours in the same make and model), was at the controls for the entire flight. He had not flown for about two months and had flown only one hour in the 90-day period before the accident. He had practiced turning stalls on two previous occasions in a Cessna 172.
Sequence of Events
The takeoff and climb were normal. After climbing to a suitable altitude, the crew practiced slow flight before transitioning to a power-off stall exercise. During the exercise, the airplane descended and accelerated to 75 knots. At about 3,800 feet msl, the student pilot reduced the power to idle and pitched the nose up. Just after the airplane stalled, the student pilot began recovery. As the airplane pitched downward, it rolled to the right. The instructor felt the student pilot input left rudder (the instructor had his feet on the rudder pedals to monitor inputs), which initially reduced the roll, but then the airplane rolled right again and entered a spin. After about two rotations, the instructor activated the CAPS. The student pilot reported letting go of the stick while applying full left rudder after the airplane banked right. He stated that the spin began so quickly that it seemed like something broke.
Wreckage and Examination
The airplane descended under parachute into a wooded area and came to rest in an approximate 30-degree nose-down, 45-degree left-wing-down attitude. Examination by an FAA inspector revealed substantial damage to the right wing leading edge, nose landing gear, and right elevator. Flight control continuity was established. The flap control was found at the 50% indicated position, and the flaps were partially deployed. The parachute remained attached to the airplane via its harness, and the canopy was in trees. Further examination by an FAA inspector and a Cirrus representative found no pre-impact mechanical malfunctions with aileron and roll trim control, elevator and pitch trim control, or rudder and rudder-aileron interconnect. The roll trim motor was near neutral, the pitch trim motor was slightly nose-up, and the rudder-aileron interconnect bungee was positioned evenly.
Prior Flight Information
The airplane was last flown on December 12, 2015, by the operator's chief flight instructor, who performed an instructional flight that included power-on and power-off stalls. He reported no unusual handling characteristics during that flight.
Data Recovery
The primary flight display, autopilot computer, and a memory card from the multifunction display were sent to the NTSB Vehicle Recorders Laboratory for data recovery. The data was plotted and used to create an animation of the stall preceding the spin. Review indicated right yaw prior to the stall.