History of Flight
On July 24, 2019, about 0550 eastern daylight time, a Cirrus SR22 airplane, N921CD, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Americus, Georgia. The pilot and the pilot-rated passenger were fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. According to the pilot’s son, the pilot was heading to Experimental Aircraft Association AirVenture Oshkosh, which began on July 22 and ended on July 28. The airplane departed Jimmy Carter Regional Airport (ACJ), Americus, Georgia, about 0547 in night instrument meteorological conditions (IMC); no flight plan was filed. Radar data provided by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) showed the airplane's radar track as six radar targets over a span of 1 minute, with the targets 12 seconds apart. A line connecting each target, as well as the accident site, depicted a 180° left arc. The first target was located about 1,700 ft beyond the departure end of runway 5 (468 ft elevation) at 900 ft mean sea level (msl), 432 ft above ground level. The airplane's second target was at 1,200 ft msl, the next three targets were about 1,300 ft msl, and the final target was about 1,100 ft msl. The pilot and passenger did not communicate with air traffic control during the accident flight. According to a witness who lived across the road from the farm where the airplane crashed, he heard the sound of an airplane engine about 0550. He indicated that it was cloudy and still dark outside. He stated that the engine was "whining really loud," and then he heard an explosion.
Personnel Information
According to FAA airmen records, the pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land, airplane single-engine sea, and instrument airplane. He also held a mechanic certificate with ratings for airframe and powerplant. At his last aviation medical examination in April 2018, he reported 300 hours flight time within the 6 months before the examination. The pilot-rated passenger held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land and instrument airplane, and a mechanic certificate for airframe, powerplant, and inspection authorization ratings. At his last aviation medical examination in April 2018, he reported 1,850 hours total flight experience, with 48 hours within the 6 months before the examination.
Aircraft Information
According to the airplane’s maintenance logbooks, the most recent annual inspection was completed on April 3, 2018, at 1,767.2 total aircraft hours. The last three annual inspections were completed about every other year.
Meteorological Information
The 0550 recorded weather observation at ACJ, about 2 miles south of the accident site, included an overcast ceiling at 500 ft, wind from 050° at 5 knots, visibility 10 miles, temperature 22°C, dew point 21°C, and altimeter setting 29.95 inches of mercury. The beginning of civil twilight was at 0619, and sunrise was at 0646. At 0445, the National Weather Service Aviation Weather Center issued an updated AIRMET Sierra advising of IMC with ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 statute miles, precipitation, and mist. Satellite data indicated approximate cloud-top height over the accident site was 6,500 ft msl about the time of the accident. The pilot did not request or receive a weather briefing through Leidos or ForeFlight; it is unknown if he checked any additional weather information.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane came to rest on a farm at an elevation of 477 ft, and all major components were accounted for. The wreckage path was about 400 ft long, oriented about a 180° heading. An initial tree strike was observed about 34 ft above ground. The initial ground scar was about 50 ft beyond the tree strike, and the airplane came to rest about 75 ft beyond that. Several trees were damaged by fire and wilted consistent with fuel blight. The airframe and flight control surfaces were highly fragmented. Control cable continuity was confirmed through overload breaks and cuts by first responders. The Cirrus Aircraft Parachute System was examined; the safety pin with its "Remove Before Flight" banner remained installed in the deployment handle. The parachute remained in its deployment bag, and suspension lines and risers were draped over a tree. The engine was separated from the airframe, and the crankcase was split. Crankshaft continuity was confirmed. No anomalies were noted that would have precluded normal operation.
Medical and Pathological Information
The Division of Forensic Sciences, Georgia Bureau of Investigation performed autopsies. The cause of death for both the pilot and passenger was multiple blunt force trauma. The FAA Forensic Sciences Laboratory detected N-propanol and 94 mg/dL of ethanol in the pilot’s muscle tissue. In the passenger’s tissue, N-butanol, N-propanol, and 64 mg/dL of ethanol in muscle and 24 mg/dL in lung were detected.
Additional Information
The Risk Management Handbook (FAA-H-8083-2) states: "In get-there-itis, personal or external pressure clouds the vision and impairs judgment by causing a fixation on the original goal or destination combined with a total disregard for alternative course of action." The Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (FAA-H-8083-25B) describes the anti-authority attitude as found in people who "do not like anyone telling them what to do" and may regard rules as silly or unnecessary. It also states that spatial disorientation refers to lack of orientation with regard to position, attitude, or movement of the airplane in space, and that a rapid acceleration during takeoff may create a somatogravic illusion of being nose-up, leading the disoriented pilot to push the aircraft into a nose-low or dive attitude.