What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 01/09/2015 @ appx 2315Z (1615 MST) a Cirrus SR-22 N383GM crashed in to the great salt lake in Utah killing the pilot. The pilot took off from U42 south valley regional airport, UT at appx 2300Z (1600 MST) and was alone. The weather was reported as marginal VFR at the airport of departure. It was late in the day and the sun was low on the horizon and casting shadows from the mountain ranges west of the great salt lake. The sun typically sets around 2432Z (1732 MST) in salt lake city this time of year. The course flown started north out of U42 and then shortly after turned to avg heading of 331(nnw) and traveled this direction for 8.98 miles, speed was averaging 173 KTS. The heading changes to average 284(w) and travels on this course appx 7.5 miles avg speed 175KTS out over the great salt lake in Utah. Final course change to avg heading 244(ssw) and continued traveling this direction appx 3.18 miles at an average speed of 177KTS. The inversion (low lying fog) was heavy that day and the lake affect was making it worse in that area. The flight altitude could not be determined with available data. It is believed the pilot was flying lower than 6500? Due to class b airspace restrictions. At appx 2315Z the last transponder ping and radar contact was made, the pilot did not speak with ATC during this flight event. It is believed this is when the accident happened. Witnesses were interviewed but the fog and inversion was so thick at the time of the accident no one saw anything. There were no reports from witnesses interviewed concerning any odd noises during the time frame of interest. With the available information the aircraft is believed to have been operating properly there was evidence of fuel at the scene and the sar personnel reported the smell of fuel when they first arrived at the scene. The aircraft accident scene spanned appx 2 miles with the main wreckage (the hull and wings of the aircraft) at one point and all the smaller parts which are believed to have floated away from the accident after the crash. The pilot was found appx 2 miles from the scene still strapped to the seat and floating in the lake. The entire front of the aircraft was completely broken up, the engine and propeller were not recovered during the time frame of this investigation. It is believed the aircraft broke up after striking the water and the ballistic recovery system had not been deployed but the chute was out of the bay and wrapped around the aircraft but the ballistic charge had not been fired suspect the force of the impact dislodged the chute from its packing. It is reported by investigators on scene the safety pin had not been removed from the firing handle in what remained of the aircraft
As the FAA filed it
ON 01/09/2015 @ APPX 2315Z (1615 MST) A CIRRUS SR-22 N383GM CRASHED IN TO THE GREAT SALT LAKE IN UTAH KILLING THE PILOT. THE PILOT TOOK OFF FROM U42 SOUTH VALLEY REGIONAL AIRPORT, UT AT APPX 2300Z (1600 MST) AND WAS ALONE. THE WEATHER WAS REPORTED AS MARGINAL VFR AT THE AIRPORT OF DEPARTURE. IT WAS LATE IN THE DAY AND THE SUN WAS LOW ON THE HORIZON AND CASTING SHADOWS FROM THE MOUNTAIN RANGES WEST OF THE GREAT SALT LAKE. THE SUN TYPICALLY SETS AROUND 2432Z (1732 MST) IN SALT LAKE CITY THIS TIME OF YEAR. THE COURSE FLOWN STARTED NORTH OUT OF U42 AND THEN SHORTLY AFTER TURNED TO AVG HEADING OF 331(NNW) AND TRAVELED THIS DIRECTION FOR 8.98 MILES, SPEED WAS AVERAGING 173 KTS. THE HEADING CHANGES TO AVERAGE 284(W) AND TRAVELS ON THIS COURSE APPX 7.5 MILES AVG SPEED 175KTS OUT OVER THE GREAT SALT LAKE IN UTAH. FINAL COURSE CHANGE TO AVG HEADING 244(SSW) AND CONTINUED TRAVELING THIS DIRECTION APPX 3.18 MILES AT AN AVERAGE SPEED OF 177KTS. THE INVERSION (LOW LYING FOG) WAS HEAVY THAT DAY AND THE LAKE AFFECT WAS MAKING IT WORSE IN THAT AREA. THE FLIGHT ALTITUDE COULD NOT BE DETERMINED WITH AVAILABLE DATA. IT IS BELIEVED THE PILOT WAS FLYING LOWER THAN 6500? DUE TO CLASS B AIRSPACE RESTRICTIONS. AT APPX 2315Z THE LAST TRANSPONDER PING AND RADAR CONTACT WAS MADE, THE PILOT DID NOT SPEAK WITH ATC DURING THIS FLIGHT EVENT. IT IS BELIEVED THIS IS WHEN THE ACCIDENT HAPPENED. WITNESSES WERE INTERVIEWED BUT THE FOG AND INVERSION WAS SO THICK AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT NO ONE SAW ANYTHING. THERE WERE NO REPORTS FROM WITNESSES INTERVIEWED CONCERNING ANY ODD NOISES DURING THE TIME FRAME OF INTEREST. WITH THE AVAILABLE INFORMATION THE AIRCRAFT IS BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN OPERATING PROPERLY THERE WAS EVIDENCE OF FUEL AT THE SCENE AND THE SAR PERSONNEL REPORTED THE SMELL OF FUEL WHEN THEY FIRST ARRIVED AT THE SCENE. THE AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT SCENE SPANNED APPX 2 MILES WITH THE MAIN WRECKAGE (THE HULL AND WINGS OF THE AIRCRAFT) AT ONE POINT AND ALL THE SMALLER PARTS WHICH ARE BELIEVED TO HAVE FLOATED AWAY FROM THE ACCIDENT AFTER THE CRASH. THE PILOT WAS FOUND APPX 2 MILES FROM THE SCENE STILL STRAPPED TO THE SEAT AND FLOATING IN THE LAKE. THE ENTIRE FRONT OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS COMPLETELY BROKEN UP, THE ENGINE AND PROPELLER WERE NOT RECOVERED DURING THE TIME FRAME OF THIS INVESTIGATION. IT IS BELIEVED THE AIRCRAFT BROKE UP AFTER STRIKING THE WATER AND THE BALLISTIC RECOVERY SYSTEM HAD NOT BEEN DEPLOYED BUT THE CHUTE WAS OUT OF THE BAY AND WRAPPED AROUND THE AIRCRAFT BUT THE BALLISTIC CHARGE HAD NOT BEEN FIRED SUSPECT THE FORCE OF THE IMPACT DISLODGED THE CHUTE FROM ITS PACKING. IT IS REPORTED BY INVESTIGATORS ON SCENE THE SAFETY PIN HAD NOT BEEN REMOVED FROM THE FIRING HANDLE IN WHAT REMAINED OF THE AIRCRAFT
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.