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20130312003719A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Cirrus Design SR20 · Kernville, CA · March 12, 2013

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Date
March 12, 2013 · 15:00 local
Place
Kernville, CA
Phase of flight
Landing: Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N427GE
Reported as
Cirrus Design SR20
Reported engine
Continental IO-360-ES
People aboard
3
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
1
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
1,500 total34 in this make and model5 in the last 90 days
N427GERegistration cancelled Mar 17, 2014 · Cirrus Design SR20S/N 1984 · Built 2008Airframe modelCirrus Design SR20Engine modelContinental IO-360-ESReciprocating

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.

On March 11, 2013, at approximately 1450 local time N427GE, a Cirrus, attempted to land at kern valley airport (L05) located near Kernville, CA after departing bakersfield, CA. The pilot checked the weather before leaving the santa monica airport where the aircraft was rented, and checked again before leaving the bakersfield meadows airport. The wind at 4,500 feet was approximately 355 degrees at 7 knots with clear skies and little to no turbulence. The pilot made a straight in approach to runway 35 using full flaps. No crab or cross wind correction was needed for the approach, and the pilot recounts seeing the wind sock at about the same direction and speed as the winds aloft. L05 does not have an automated weather station. Pilots must depend on forecasts and the wind sock for weather information.

During the landing flare, and still airborne, the aircraft shifted position to the right side of the runway. The pilot thought his right wheel would have made contact with the ground off of the runway and attempted a go-around. While in the go-around the main wheels made contact with the ground. The throttle was fully advanced for the go around and the aircraft's nose moved left. The aircraft continued across the runway to the left side of the runway where it struck a ?ditch?. The aircraft flipped over and landed inverted on a group of rocks located off the left side of the runway.

The pilot indicated that the aircraft was performing well all day and that he felt no mechanical irregularities with the controls or the engine.

As the FAA filed it

ON MARCH 11, 2013, AT APPROXIMATELY 1450 LOCAL TIME N427GE, A CIRRUS, ATTEMPTED TO LAND AT KERN VALLEY AIRPORT (L05) LOCATED NEAR KERNVILLE, CA AFTER DEPARTING BAKERSFIELD, CA. THE PILOT CHECKED THE WEATHER BEFORE LEAVING THE SANTA MONICA AIRPORT WHERE THE AIRCRAFT WAS RENTED, AND CHECKED AGAIN BEFORE LEAVING THE BAKERSFIELD MEADOWS AIRPORT. THE WIND AT 4,500 FEET WAS APPROXIMATELY 355 DEGREES AT 7 KNOTS WITH CLEAR SKIES AND LITTLE TO NO TURBULENCE. THE PILOT MADE A STRAIGHT IN APPROACH TO RUNWAY 35 USING FULL FLAPS. NO CRAB OR CROSS WIND CORRECTION WAS NEEDED FOR THE APPROACH, AND THE PILOT RECOUNTS SEEING THE WIND SOCK AT ABOUT THE SAME DIRECTION AND SPEED AS THE WINDS ALOFT. L05 DOES NOT HAVE AN AUTOMATED WEATHER STATION. PILOTS MUST DEPEND ON FORECASTS AND THE WIND SOCK FOR WEATHER INFORMATION.

DURING THE LANDING FLARE, AND STILL AIRBORNE, THE AIRCRAFT SHIFTED POSITION TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT THOUGHT HIS RIGHT WHEEL WOULD HAVE MADE CONTACT WITH THE GROUND OFF OF THE RUNWAY AND ATTEMPTED A GO-AROUND. WHILE IN THE GO-AROUND THE MAIN WHEELS MADE CONTACT WITH THE GROUND. THE THROTTLE WAS FULLY ADVANCED FOR THE GO AROUND AND THE AIRCRAFT'S NOSE MOVED LEFT. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED ACROSS THE RUNWAY TO THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY WHERE IT STRUCK A ?DITCH?. THE AIRCRAFT FLIPPED OVER AND LANDED INVERTED ON A GROUP OF ROCKS LOCATED OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY.

THE PILOT INDICATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS PERFORMING WELL ALL DAY AND THAT HE FELT NO MECHANICAL IRREGULARITIES WITH THE CONTROLS OR THE ENGINE.