Accident Overview
On June 11, 2017, at about 1200 eastern daylight time, a Cirrus SR22, registration N592BC, was substantially damaged when it impacted a power pole, trees, and terrain during approach to Bartow Municipal Airport (BOW), Bartow, Florida. The private pilot, who owned the airplane, sustained serious injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The flight had departed Gainesville Regional Airport (GNV) at about 1120.
Pilot and Aircraft Information
The pilot held a private pilot certificate with a rating for airplane single-engine land. His most recent FAA third-class medical certificate was issued on March 9, 2011, at which time he reported 750 total hours of flight experience. The four-seat, low-wing, tricycle-gear airplane was manufactured in 2005 and powered by a Continental IO-550, 310-horsepower engine. The hobbs meter displayed 2101.6 aircraft hours. Maintenance records were not reviewed; however, a copy of the most recent annual inspection, completed on October 28, 2016, at 2065.3 total aircraft hours, was provided by the pilot's attorney.
Pilot Statements and Sequence of Events
The pilot was not immediately available due to his injuries but later told a police detective that he had become disoriented by holding the airport diagram upside down while approaching BOW. After orienting himself, he turned onto the downwind leg of the traffic pattern, realized he was high, and disconnected the autopilot. During final approach, the airplane was descending rapidly, and the pilot added power to complete the landing, but "nothing happened" because he "hadn't reset [the] mixture." He stated that he lacked the time and altitude to remedy the problem.
An air traffic controller reported that the accident airplane contacted the tower north of BOW and was instructed to report entering a left base for landing on runway 9L. Instead, the pilot reported being on a left downwind for runway 9L and was cleared to land. No further communications were received from the pilot.
Radar and Wreckage Data
The final radar target was recorded about 1 mile from the threshold of runway 9L at an altitude of 700 feet and a groundspeed of 130 knots. The airplane came to rest in a church yard approximately 1/2 mile from the runway threshold.
An on-scene examination by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed substantial impact damage to the entire airframe, with no fire damage. Evidence of fuel was present, and control continuity was established from the cockpit to the flight control surfaces. Initial visual examination of the engine did not reveal any anomalies. The engine was forwarded to the manufacturer for detailed examination. Flight and multifunction displays, as well as autopilot components, were retained for examination at the NTSB recorders laboratory.
Weather Conditions
At 1545, weather reported at BOW included a broken ceiling at 3,000 feet, wind from 050° at 4 knots, and visibility of 10 statute miles. The temperature was 27°C, the dew point was 21°C, and the altimeter setting was 30.15 inches of mercury.
Post-Accident Engine Examination
The engine was removed from the airframe and placed in a test cell at the engine manufacturer's facility in Mobile, Alabama. It started immediately, accelerated smoothly, and ran continuously at all power settings with no anomalies noted.