What happened
On September 28, 2024, at 1718 EDT, a Cirrus Design Corp SR22, registration N1281F, was destroyed following an accident near Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina. The flight was being operated under Part 91 as a personal flight. The aircraft was on a multi-leg trip that began at Moore County Airport (SOP), with previous stops at Ocracoke Island Airport (W95) and Dare County Regional Airport (MQI).
After departing MQI at 1710, the aircraft flew toward First Flight Airport (FFA). Preliminary ADS-B data indicated that the pilot entered a left-hand traffic pattern for runway 21, despite the published pattern for that runway being a right-hand pattern. During the approach, the pilot descended and flew above the runway before rejoining the pattern using left turns. Witnesses reported that the aircraft appeared high and fast during its second approach to runway 21. As the airplane passed the midpoint of the runway, it executed a steep left turn and struck the tops of 50-foot-tall trees. The aircraft then struck additional trees and came to rest 300 feet east of the runway in heavily wooded terrain. A significant post-impact fire occurred at the site.
The pilot and four passengers sustained 5 fatal injuries.
The investigation
Investigators examined the wreckage and found that the left wing tip was separated from the main wreckage and located in a tree at the initial impact point. The left aileron and other portions of the left wing were found between the initial impact and the main wreckage. The right wing remained attached to the fuselage, though the inboard portion was largely consumed by fire.
The engine remained attached to the firewall, and while the magnetos could not be tested due to thermal damage, the engine was rotated and compression was found on all six cylinders. The 3-bladed Hartzell propeller blades were liberated from the hub assembly due to the impact; propeller strike marks were observed on a tree trunk, where a 12-inch section of the tree was severed.
The Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS) was present, but the parachute, harness, and suspension lines remained in a packed state within the deployment bag. The cockpit and Garmin G1000 displays were destroyed by fire, and the SD cards were found melted in their slots. The flap actuator indicated that the flaps were in the 100% position at the time of the accident.