# Accident 20120711011989A: Cirrus Design Corp SR20, Moscow, TN, July 11, 2012

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 11, 2012, 08:40 local time
- Place: Moscow, TN
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 35.0564° N, 89.3864° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.0564&lon=-89.3864&mi=10
- Aircraft: N764RV, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N764RV-2018-02-08) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cirrus Design SR20 (registry code 2130000, https://openairdocs.org/model/cirrus-design-sr20) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental IO-360-ES (registry code 17160, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-io-360-es) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CIRRUS DESIGN CORP SR20
- Reported engine: CONT MOTOR IO-360-ES
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 1
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 480 total, 285 in this make and model
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA12FA438](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA12FA438) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20120711011989A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

ON JULY 11, 2012, AT APPROXIMATELY 0850 CDT, N764RV, A CIRRUS SR20, REGISTERED TO MR. RICK VAUGHN, CRASHED NEAR MOSCOW, TN. THE PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED. THERE WERE NO PASSENGERS AND NO FATALITIES ON THE GROUND. THE 14 CFR 91 FLIGHT DEPARTED KNQA AT APPROXIMATELY 0835 CDT. WEATHER AT KNQA AT THE TIME OF DEPARTURE WAS REPORTED AS OVERCAST WITH 900 FT. CEILING. WEATHER AT KOLV AT THE TIME OF THE CRASH WAS REPORTED AS OVERCAST WITH A CEILING OF 400 FT. KLOV IS LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 20 MILES SOUTH OF THE CRASH SITE. THE PILOT HELD A PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATE WITH NO INSTRUMENT RATING. THERE WAS NO FLIGHT PLAN FILED.  A WSI PILOT BRIEF STATION WAS LOCATED IN THE FBO AT THE KNQA AIRPORT. IT HAD BEEN USED BY THE PILOT FOR PREVIOUS FLIGHTS, BUT NO PERSONNEL PRESENT RECALLED THE PILOT UTILIZING IT ON THE ACCIDENT DATE.  KNQA TOWER ATTEMPTED RADIO CONTACT WITH N764RV FOR POSITION AFTER TAKEOFF, WITH NO RESPONSE. RADAR TRACKING AT MEMPHIS APPROACH OBTAINED A TARGET SQUAWKING 1200 SOUTH OF KNQA SOUTHEAST BOUND AT 900 FT.    N764RV PASSED A POINT BETWEEN ROSSVILLE, TN AND MOSCOW, TN ON A SOUTHEASTERLY BEARING AT 1100 FT AT 1349Z. RADAR SHOWED N764RV TURNED  EASTBOUND AND BEGAN A CLIMB TO AN ALITUDE OF 1400 FT, THEN CLIMBING TO 1700 FT. LATER N764RV  INITIATED ANOTHER LEFT CLIMBING TURN NORTH EASTBOUND TO 2100 FT, FOLLOWED LATER BY A RIGHT DESCENDING TURN EASTBOUND TO 1700 FT. SHORTLY AFTER N764RV BEGAN ANOTHER CLIMB, FOLLOWED BY A LEFT TURN NNE BOUND  WHILE CLIMBING TO A MAXIMUM ALTITUDE OF 2700 FT.  AT THAT TIME, RADAR TRACKING WAS LOST. ALTITUDE INDICATED 2700 FT, AND LESS THAN  0.2 NORTHEAST OF THE CRASH SITE.  N764RV STRUCK A TOP OF A TREE AND IMPACTED THE GROUND AT A HIGH ANGLE, HIGH RATE OF SPEED. THE CRASH SITE WAS CONSISTENT WITH THAT TYPE OF IMPACT. AIRCRAFT DEBRIS WAS FOUND APPOXIMATELY 100-200 YARDS AWAY FROM THE MAIN IMPACT SITE.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB ERA12FA438](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA12FA438), Jul 11, 2012: Cirrus Design SR20 (N764RV), Moscow, TN, substantial damage, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The non-instrument rated pilot’s decision to continue visual flight rules flight into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in his spatial disorientation, a loss of airplane control,…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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