History of the Flight
On June 10, 2016, about 1634 central daylight time, a Cirrus Design Corporation SR22 airplane, N508AJ, impacted terrain following a loss of control during a simulated engine failure and landing maneuver at Williamson County Regional Airport (MWA), Marion, Illinois. The private pilot, who was receiving instruction, sustained fatal injuries; the flight instructor sustained serious injuries; and the airplane was destroyed. The airplane was operated by AJ Air, Inc, as a 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The local flight departed MWA at 1627.
According to a tower controller and air traffic control transcripts, the pilot and flight instructor performed touch-and-go maneuvers, then requested a climb to 3,000 feet for a simulated engine failure descent to land. The controller cleared the maneuver. About four minutes later, the controller observed the airplane in a descending left turn. As the airplane approached the runway, the controller saw the right wing rise as if the right aileron and left rudder were applied; the airplane then appeared to stall and roll to the right. It impacted terrain short of the runway threshold.
A witness driving near the airport saw the airplane low at an odd angle, with the entire top side visible and wings oriented up and down. One wing struck the ground, followed by the entire airplane.
The flight instructor reported no memory of the accident.
Personnel Information
The pilot/owner held a private pilot certificate with airplane single-engine land and instrument ratings. His most recent FAA medical certificate, issued August 3, 2015, was a special issuance third-class with limitations: must wear corrective lenses and not valid after August 31, 2016. He reported using amlodipine and metoprolol. According to his logbook, he had about 626 total flight hours, with about 540 in the accident airplane. His most recent flight review was completed June 23, 2015, with the accident flight instructor. The last flight recorded was November 15, 2015. On his medical application, he reported 750 total hours and 25 hours in the previous six months.
The flight instructor held commercial pilot and flight instructor certificates with single-engine, multi-engine, and instrument ratings. His most recent FAA second-class medical certificate, issued October 27, 2015, required glasses for near vision. He reported 3,477 total flight hours, 2,406 instructor hours, and 255 hours in Cirrus airplanes. He and the pilot had accumulated 16 flight hours together since September 2012, mostly during flight reviews and recurrent instrument training. He was a Cirrus Standardized Instructor Pilot (CSIP) from June 30, 2011, but his status was terminated in March 2013 due to non-renewal.
Aircraft Information
The Cirrus SR22 is a single-engine, low-wing airplane with four seats, fixed tricycle landing gear, and dual side-yoke controls. The accident airplane, serial number 1160, was manufactured in 2004. It was powered by a 310-horsepower Teledyne Continental Motors IO-550-N six-cylinder engine and a Hartzell three-blade constant-speed propeller. It was equipped with a Cirrus Airplane Parachute System and an electro-pneumatic stall warning system. The airplane was registered to the pilot/owner on November 30, 2004. The most recent annual inspection was completed on December 10, 2015, at 712.6 total hours. All applicable service bulletins and airworthiness directives had been accomplished.
Meteorological Information
At 1657, the MWA automated weather observing system reported wind from 170 degrees at 7 knots, visibility 20 statute miles, clear sky, temperature 32°C, dew point 19°C, and an altimeter setting of 30.02 inches of mercury.
Wreckage and Impact
The initial impact point contained fractured portions of a green navigation light lens, consistent with the right wing. The debris field was about 242 feet long on a magnetic heading of about 250 degrees. It contained fragmented sections of the right wing, propeller assembly, and forward fuselage. The main wreckage, consisting of the fuselage, left wing, engine, and part of the right wing, came to rest upright about 555 feet from the runway edge. The airframe parachute was deployed, consistent with impact damage activation.
The right wing flap and aileron remained partially attached; the right main landing gear was separated. The left wing main spar was fractured near mid-span; the left flap and aileron remained partially attached; the left main landing gear remained attached; the left wing tip was separated. The empennage was intact but separated from the aft fuselage; elevators and rudder remained attached. The engine separated at the firewall and came to rest inverted. The propeller assembly separated at the crankshaft flange. Mechanical continuity was established, and thumb compression was noted on all cylinders. The cockpit and cabin were fragmented. The fuel selector was positioned to the right tank, and the Hobbs meter indicated 718.3 hours. The power and mixture controls were full forward. Flight control continuity was established from the cockpit to all surfaces. The flaps were retracted.
Test and Research
Engine examination on July 19, 2016, revealed no anomalies that would have prevented full power operation.
The Primary Flight Display (PFD) and Multifunction Display (MFD) data were examined. The PFD contained about 25 hours of flight data, including the accident flight. The MFD contained 220 data files for 110 flights, with one file for the accident flight lasting about 35 minutes.
Data review showed that prior to the accident, the airplane performed six touch-and-go maneuvers in a left traffic pattern, climbing to about 1,500 feet each time. For the final maneuver, the airplane climbed to about 3,000 feet, circled, then descended. Airspeed gradually decreased from about 110 knots to about 87 knots. In the final three seconds, vertical, lateral, and longitudinal accelerations peaked at 1.4 g, -0.2 g, and 0.4 g, respectively. During the last second, at 646 feet, the airplane entered a tight descending left turn of nearly 360 degrees, with roll increasing from 36 to 45 degrees left and pitch ranging from -0.5 to 2.4 degrees. Engine parameters varied from takeoff-like values to idle settings.