History of Flight
On June 15, 2021, about 1045 Pacific daylight time, a Cirrus Design Corporation SR20 airplane, registration N89423, was substantially damaged in an accident at Truckee-Tahoe Airport (TRK), Truckee, California. The flight instructor received fatal injuries, and the student pilot sustained serious injuries. The flight was conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as an instructional flight.
Recorded communications between the air traffic controller and the accident pilots showed that the controller issued taxi instructions to runway 20. The pilots then reported readiness for takeoff from runway 20 and requested a closed traffic pattern. The controller advised of wind conditions, acknowledged a right closed traffic pattern, and cleared the flight for takeoff. No further radio communications were recorded.
The student pilot recalled few details but noted that the stall warning indicator activated during takeoff and that the flight instructor deployed the Cirrus airframe parachute system (CAPS). The student pilot stated that he likely performed the takeoff.
Data from the airplane's recoverable data module (RDM) indicated the takeoff roll began about 1042:37, with rotation at 1043:01. Airspeed increased to a maximum of 89 knots indicated. The airplane climbed to a maximum GPS altitude of 6,391 ft (about 500 ft above ground level) before airspeed decreased.
A pilot-rated witness observed the departure from runway 20. The airplane made shallow right turns consistent with a right crosswind and downwind. Just as the witness expected wings to level, the airplane banked abruptly about 90° to the right and pitched nose-down. The parachute deployed as the airplane descended below the tree line. The witness heard impact and noted an airport sign indicating a density altitude of 7,100 ft.
ADS-B data showed the airplane departed at 1042:49, climbed to 6,325 ft by 1044:05 on a southwesterly heading, then turned to a northerly heading and descended. The last data point at 1044:21 indicated 6,050 ft and about 116 ft south of the accident site.
Personnel Information
The flight instructor had completed about 12 hours of dual instruction in the accident airplane with another instructor approximately 3 months before the accident. The student pilot had 24 total flight hours, all in the same make and model with an instructor.
Aircraft Information
The airplane was manufactured with the standard CAPS installed. The Pilot Operating Handbook stated no minimum altitude for deployment; manufacturer test flights had demonstrated deployment below 400 ft at a maximum recommended indicated airspeed of 133 knots.
The airplane was equipped with a Garmin electronic stability and protection (ESP) system designed to automatically apply control inputs near pitch, roll, or airspeed limits. Servo engagement provides resistance to flight controls when approaching steep attitudes or high airspeeds. Roll limit indicators display at 45°; if roll exceeds 45°, ESP engages and the indicator moves to 30°.
RDM data showed the flap switch was at 50% throughout the flight. The stall warning activated three times: at 1044:09 (69 knots, 12° pitch, 11° bank); at 1044:13 (78 knots, 4° pitch, 36° bank); and at 1044:16 (71 knots, -16° pitch, 81° bank). ESP activated in roll mode at 1044:14 and 1044:15 as the airplane entered a steep right roll. CAPS activated shortly after, and recording ended at 1044:21.
According to the POH stall speed data, at maximum gross weight (3,050 lbs) with flaps 50% and a 60° bank, the stall speed is 89 knots IAS (most forward CG) or 85 knots IAS (most aft CG).
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane impacted terrain about 1 mile southwest of the departure end of runway 20, with the parachute deployed but still attached. It came to rest upright in a nose-low attitude of about 15°, on a magnetic heading of about 335°, at an elevation of 5,905 ft. No ground scars were visible. The parachute rocket motor was located 450 ft southeast, and the cover 250 ft south. The fuselage and wings were mostly intact; the forward fuselage showed impact damage. Flight control continuity was established from all primary surfaces to both cockpit controls, with no cable separations. Both control sticks exhibited impact damage.
Examination found no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The flap actuator, electronic flap relay, and propeller governor showed no evidence of malfunction.
Additional Information
The FAA's Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge defines an aerodynamic stall as a rapid decrease in lift due to airflow separation from the wing when the critical angle of attack is exceeded. Stalls can occur at low airspeeds or when wing loads increase from maneuvers such as banked turns.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy of the flight instructor performed by the Placer County Sheriff-Coroner's Office determined the cause of death as multiple blunt force injuries. Toxicology testing at the FAA Forensic Sciences Laboratory returned negative results.