20060915030799A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Cirrus SR20 · Maybell, CO · September 15, 2006

Date: September 15, 2006 · 13:40 local
Place: Maybell, CO
Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N787SL
NTSB investigation: NTSBDEN06FA131
Reported as: Cirrus SR20
Reported engine: Continental IO520*
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 2
Pilot’s flight hours: 520 total0 in this make and model0 in the last 90 days

N787SLRegistration cancelled Mar 30, 2007 · Cirrus Design SR20S/N 1556 · Built 2005 Airframe modelCirrus Design SR20 Engine modelContinental IO-360 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) For the last twelve minutes of flight before impact with terrain, aircraft continually lost altitude after pilot notified ATC "that aircraft picked up a little ice" at 13,800 feet of altitude. At 11,800 feet of altitude, pilot reported "aircraft had a serious ice issue." According to the reported radar data and voice communications, aircraft was not able to maintain the assigned lower altitudes that pilot requested. The aircraft's last radar contact was at 7,800 feet. The aircraft impacted terrain at 7,100 feet elevation. The accident site was located near the colorado/wyoming border adjacent to Wyoming state highway 430, approximately 50 miles northwest of Maybell, CO. The aircraft's debris path extended for approximately 2 miles from Colorado into Wyoming. A witness in the area observed the fuselage being drug by the deployed aircraft ballistic recovery parachute creating a narrow, but lengthy debris field.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) FOR THE LAST TWELVE MINUTES OF FLIGHT BEFORE IMPACT WITH TERRAIN, AIRCRAFT CONTINUALLY LOST ALTITUDE AFTER PILOT NOTIFIED ATC "THAT AIRCRAFT PICKED UP A LITTLE ICE" AT 13,800 FEET OF ALTITUDE. AT 11,800 FEET OF ALTITUDE, PILOT REPORTED "AIRCRAFT HAD A SERIOUS ICE ISSUE." ACCORDING TO THE REPORTED RADAR DATA AND VOICE COMMUNICATIONS, AIRCRAFT WAS NOT ABLE TO MAINTAIN THE ASSIGNED LOWER ALTITUDES THAT PILOT REQUESTED. THE AIRCRAFT'S LAST RADAR CONTACT WAS AT 7,800 FEET. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED TERRAIN AT 7,100 FEET ELEVATION. THE ACCIDENT SITE WAS LOCATED NEAR THE COLORADO/WYOMING BORDER ADJACENT TO WYOMING STATE HIGHWAY 430, APPROXIMATELY 50 MILES NORTHWEST OF MAYBELL, CO. THE AIRCRAFT'S DEBRIS PATH EXTENDED FOR APPROXIMATELY 2 MILES FROM COLORADO INTO WYOMING. A WITNESS IN THE AREA OBSERVED THE FUSELAGE BEING DRUG BY THE DEPLOYED AIRCRAFT BALLISTIC RECOVERY PARACHUTE CREATING A NARROW, BUT LENGTHY DEBRIS FIELD.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB DEN06FA131Accident · 2 fatalField investigationFinal reportMaybell, COThe pilot's improper in-flight planning and decision making resulting in an inadvertent encounter with severe icing conditions during cruise flight and subsequent loss of aircraft control. Contributing factors include the pilot's failure to obtain a weather…Sep 15, 2006 · Destroyed