History of Flight
On September 5, 2017, at approximately 1148 eastern daylight time, a Cirrus SR20, registration N135CD, was destroyed when it struck terrain in Jacksonburg, West Virginia. The private pilot and one passenger received fatal injuries. The flight was conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal trip. Instrument meteorological conditions were present, and the pilot had filed an instrument flight rules flight plan. The flight originated at Delaware Coastal Airport (GED) in Georgetown, Delaware, with a destination of Fleming-Mason Airport (FGX) in Flemingsburg, Kentucky.
According to Federal Aviation Administration radar and voice communication data, the pilot contacted Clarksburg, West Virginia, approach control at 1106 while at 7,000 ft mean sea level. At 1114, the pilot requested a course change to the Parkersburg VOR to avoid weather and was cleared direct to that VOR. The controller then instructed a climb to 8,000 ft at 1115. At 1129, the controller advised that another aircraft on a similar route was deviating for weather and asked if the accident pilot wished to deviate. The pilot agreed, and a heading east of the current course was issued.
At 1142, the controller inquired about flight conditions, and the pilot reported being in clouds at 8,000 ft and "almost past" thunderstorms. The controller advised that clearance direct to the Parkersburg VOR would be given in about 8 miles. Shortly after, the pilot stated the airplane was in moderate-to-heavy precipitation. The controller offered a heading to exit the precipitation, but the pilot declined, stating he was "okay." At 1146, the pilot reported clear of precipitation and was cleared direct to the VOR. Soon after, the airplane descended rapidly from 8,000 ft to 5,000 ft before radar and radio contact were lost. An alert notice was issued when the controller could not re-establish contact. The wreckage was located three days later in a densely wooded area about 1,500 ft from the last radar position.
Pilot Information
The pilot held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land and instrument airplane. His most recent FAA third-class medical certificate was issued on February 24, 2016. Logbook records indicated 1,077 total flight hours, including 92 hours in the SR20 as of July 29, 2017. He had accumulated 37.6 total hours of actual instrument time, with 24.9 hours logged in the SR20. The logbook showed 14.6 hours of instrument time as of July 29, 2017, with no further entries. The pilot met the requirements to act as pilot in command under IFR or weather conditions below VFR minimums.
Aircraft Information
The single-engine airplane was manufactured in 2000 and powered by a Continental IO-360-ES6B engine producing 215 horsepower, equipped with a Hartzell three-bladed controllable-pitch propeller. It also featured an Aspen Pro EFD 1000, a dash-mounted Garmin 696 with XM weather/audio, a JP Instruments EDM-730 engine temperature monitor, a Garmin 430, a Garmin 420, an S-Tec autopilot, and a Garmin GTX 327 transponder. All instruments were destroyed, and no significant data could be recovered.
The most recent annual inspection was completed on October 14, 2016, at a Hobbs time of 1,141.3 hours. The Hobbs meter was destroyed, so current airframe and engine total times could not be determined. The last altimeter/pitot-static system and transponder test was performed on August 26, 2015. The cockpit electronic flight display and primary flight display were last updated on January 7, 2013.
Meteorological Information
The pilot received an official weather briefing from Leidos Flight Service at 0825. The briefing included the latest SIGMET, METARs, TAFs, Graphical Forecast for Aviation, PIREPs, AIRMETs, and winds aloft forecasts. The briefer verbally described the GFA images.
SIGMET 29E was valid for the accident area at the time and warned of thunderstorms with tops to FL450, moving from 270° at 45 knots. Two SIGMETs were valid along the route before departure and during the briefing.
The National Weather Service Surface Analysis Chart for the mid-Atlantic showed a cold front just west of the accident site, a surface trough to the east, and a low-pressure center of 1010 hPa in western Ohio. Station models near the accident site indicated temperatures from the mid-60s to low 70s°F, dew points in the low to mid-60s, temperature-dew point spreads of 5°F or less, south to southwest winds of 5 to 10 knots, and cloudy skies with areas of fog.
At North Central West Virginia Airport (CKB), located 21 miles southeast of the accident site, the 1053 observation reported wind from 190° at 8 knots, visibility 10 miles, a broken ceiling at 2,600 ft, broken skies at 3,200 ft, overcast at 4,000 ft, temperature 20°C, dew point 18°C, and altimeter 29.83 inHg. Remarks included distant lightning 6 miles west through north and rain ending at 1050. The 1153 observation reported wind from 210° at 12 knots, visibility 10 miles, thunderstorms in the vicinity, broken ceilings at 1,800 ft and 2,300 ft, broken skies at 9,500 ft, temperature 22°C, dew point 18°C, and altimeter 29.82 inHg.
Base reflectivity data from 1139 to 1147 showed the flight track in an area of 30 to 45 dBZ echoes. The pilot reported exiting precipitation by 1145. No echoes were over the accident site at 1147, and no lightning strikes were within 10 miles of the track between 1139 and 1151.
Additional Information
The FAA's General Aviation Joint Steering Committee notes that a pilot's sight, supported by other senses, maintains orientation. When visibility is restricted—such as no visual reference to the horizon—sensory conflicts can lead to spatial disorientation, making it difficult to determine orientation.
The FAA Airplane Flying Handbook describes that the vestibular sense can confuse pilots due to inertia. The inner ear cannot detect slight or uniform attitude changes, and false sensations may lead pilots to believe the airplane's attitude has changed when it has not, resulting in spatial disorientation.
FAA Advisory Circular AC-00-6B states that turbulence is present in all thunderstorms, with severe or extreme turbulence common. Gust loads can stall an aircraft at maneuvering speed or cause structural damage at cruising speed. Strongest turbulence occurs with shear between updrafts and downdrafts, and turbulence can be encountered thousands of feet above and 20 miles laterally from a severe storm.
The Turbulence Reporting Criteria Table defines severe turbulence as causing large, abrupt changes in altitude and/or attitude, with large variations in indicated airspeed and momentary loss of control. Extreme turbulence involves violent tossing and practical impossibility of control, potentially causing structural damage.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy performed by the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Charleston, West Virginia, attributed the pilot's cause of death to multiple blunt force trauma. Toxicology testing at the FAA Forensic Sciences Laboratory identified small amounts of ethanol and isopropanol in the putrefied muscle sample, consistent with postmortem production.