Accident Narrative
On May 31, 2018, at approximately 1920 central daylight time, a Cirrus Design Corp. SR22, registration N670SR, was destroyed when it impacted terrain shortly after departing from Midland International Air and Space Port Airport (MAF) in Midland, Texas. The student pilot and a passenger sustained fatal injuries. The flight was originating at the time of the accident and was destined for Sierra Blanca Regional Airport (SRR) in Ruidoso, New Mexico. The airplane was registered to and operated by JMC Ranches, LLC, of Midland, Texas, under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the accident site.
Two corporate pilots standing on the ramp observed the accident airplane during its initial climb. They reported that the airplane climbed to about 200 feet at a slow airspeed and then stalled. The right wing dropped, and the airplane descended in a right turn until impacting the terrain behind the Commemorative Air Force's American Airpower Heritage Museum. A post-impact fire ensued.
Aircraft and Pilot Information
The accident airplane, serial number 2863, was manufactured in 2007. It was powered by a Continental IO-550-N 310-horsepower reciprocating engine (serial number 691467) driving a Hartzell 3-bladed, composite, constant-speed propeller (model PHC-33YF-1N, serial number FP6210B). According to maintenance records, the airframe and engine received annual inspections on December 20, 2017, at a total time of 875.1 hours, with the tachometer reading 847.6 hours. FAA registration records show the airplane was registered to JMC Ranches, LLC, on January 11, 2018. The pilot owned this company.
The 39-year-old pilot held a student pilot certificate, with his most recent third-class FAA medical certificate issued on April 1, 2013. According to the pilot's wife, he operated a horse training business and regularly flew the accident airplane between MAF and SRR, often with passengers. The pilot's former flight instructor stated that the pilot had taken a 3-to-5-year hiatus from flying. The instructor had flown with the pilot in a Cessna 172 from December 2016 to April 2017 and estimated the pilot had accrued about 100 total flight hours by that time. The instructor never flew with the pilot in the accident airplane.
Weather and Wreckage
The MAF automated weather observation at 1853 reported wind from 150° at 9 knots, 10 miles visibility, clear sky, temperature 41°C, dew point 4°C, and an altimeter setting of 29.78 inches of mercury. At 1952, the observation included wind from 160° at 5 knots, temperature 40°C, dew point 4°C, and the same altimeter setting. The density altitude was calculated as 6,660 feet above mean sea level around the time of the accident.
Examination of the wreckage revealed a 53-foot-long ground scar aligned on a magnetic heading of 270°, leading to the main wreckage. All aircraft components were accounted for, and there was no evidence of in-flight failure or malfunction of the airframe, engine, or flight controls.
Medical Information
The Tarrant County Medical Examiner performed an autopsy on the pilot, listing the cause of death as multiple blunt force injuries. Toxicological testing by the FAA's Bioaeronautical Science Research Laboratory detected no carboxyhemoglobin in blood and no ethanol in vitreous. Tamsulosin was detected in cavity blood and liver tissue; according to FAA's Forensic Toxicology WebDrugs, tamsulosin is an alpha blocker used for benign prostatic hyperplasia and is not considered impairing.