What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 07/24/2019 about 0550 eastern daylight time, a Cirrus SR22, tail number N921CD serial number 0286, impacted the ground 1.5 miles north of Jimmy Carter Regional Airport (acj). The METAR weather report at the time of impact was IFR conditions, 5 knots winds @ 050, 10 mile visibility, overcast 500FT, temperature 22°c, dew point 21°c and altimeter setting of 29.95 inches of mercury. An IFR flight plan was not available.
Due to the severity of the impact and conditions of the bodies, it was undetermined who was in command of the aircraft and which seat they were occupying. It was confirmed that the owner was in the aircraft at the time of impact and was a certified commercial pilot with 22000 total flight hours and a current 2nd class medical and current ratings were airplane single-engine land, airplane single-engine sea and instrument airplane. The other person onboard at the time of impact was a certified pilot with a commercial rating with 1850 total flight hours and a 2nd class medical and current ratings were airplane single-engine land and instrument airplane. It was undetermined on who was in control of the aircraft.
Aircraft records show the aircraft was a Cirrus, model SR22, serial number 0286, registration number N921CD with a Continental engine model tcm IO-550N7 serial number 686352 and hartzell propeller model number PHC-J3YF-1RF serial number FP1823B.
Radar data shows the Cirrus, N921CD was first contacted on air traffic control radar at 0547:15 EDT, 900? MSL, in a heading that indicated the aircraft departed from runway five in a 5° northerly direction. Second radar contact was at 0547:27 EDT, 1200? MSL, headed in a northwest direction from the previous radar contact. Third radar contact was at 0547:39 EDT. 1300? MSL, headed in a more northerly direction indicating the aircraft was in a left hand bank. Forth radar contact was at 0547:51 EDT, 1300? MSL aircraft headed in a northwesterly direction appearing to be in a left hand bank. Fifth radar contact was at 0548:03 EDT, 1300? MSL aircraft was headed in a northwest direction appearing to still be in a left hand bank. Sixth and final radar contact was at 0548:15 EDT, 1100? MSL aircraft was headed in a westerly direction appearing to still be in a left hand bank but descending in altitude. Sumter county sheriff?s office was notified at 0945 on 07/24/2018 of an aircraft accident in the vicinity of Jimmy Carter Regional Airport. This office was notified at 11:11 EDT and was on scene at 1430 EDT.
A witness stated, that around 0550 EDT, he heard an aircraft with a ?whining high pitched noise? Then an explosion that shook his house. The witness resides .46 miles from the accident site.
The aircraft wreckage was located in a pecan orchard at (N32°08?9?, W84°11?40?) With a field elevation of 477FT. The aircraft came in contact with a pecan tree then impacted the ground 75FT away in a heading of 179°. The condition of the broken tree (only the center branch broken out, no other damage) and the placement of the left hand wing tip indicated the aircraft?s left wing made first contact and was in a left hand bank at that time. The impact crater was 3.5FT deep and approximately 5.5FT wide. The engine and instrument panel came to rest 75FT beyond the impact crater. The distance from the initial contact of the tree to the furthest item found in the debris field was 400FT. Damage to aircraft and to personnel was catastrophic resulting in a destroyed aircraft and 2 fatalities.
A preliminary records review of the aircraft logbooks showed the aircraft was due annual 04/03/2019 (112 days overdue). The aircraft was also not current on the ATC transponder check and the pitot static leak check. These two inspections were last accomplished 09/01/2010.
As the FAA filed it
ON 07/24/2019 ABOUT 0550 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A CIRRUS SR22, TAIL NUMBER N921CD SERIAL NUMBER 0286, IMPACTED THE GROUND 1.5 MILES NORTH OF JIMMY CARTER REGIONAL AIRPORT (ACJ). THE METAR WEATHER REPORT AT THE TIME OF IMPACT WAS IFR CONDITIONS, 5 KNOTS WINDS @ 050, 10 MILE VISIBILITY, OVERCAST 500FT, TEMPERATURE 22°C, DEW POINT 21°C AND ALTIMETER SETTING OF 29.95 INCHES OF MERCURY. AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.
DUE TO THE SEVERITY OF THE IMPACT AND CONDITIONS OF THE BODIES, IT WAS UNDETERMINED WHO WAS IN COMMAND OF THE AIRCRAFT AND WHICH SEAT THEY WERE OCCUPYING. IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT THE OWNER WAS IN THE AIRCRAFT AT THE TIME OF IMPACT AND WAS A CERTIFIED COMMERCIAL PILOT WITH 22000 TOTAL FLIGHT HOURS AND A CURRENT 2ND CLASS MEDICAL AND CURRENT RATINGS WERE AIRPLANE SINGLE-ENGINE LAND, AIRPLANE SINGLE-ENGINE SEA AND INSTRUMENT AIRPLANE. THE OTHER PERSON ONBOARD AT THE TIME OF IMPACT WAS A CERTIFIED PILOT WITH A COMMERCIAL RATING WITH 1850 TOTAL FLIGHT HOURS AND A 2ND CLASS MEDICAL AND CURRENT RATINGS WERE AIRPLANE SINGLE-ENGINE LAND AND INSTRUMENT AIRPLANE. IT WAS UNDETERMINED ON WHO WAS IN CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT.
AIRCRAFT RECORDS SHOW THE AIRCRAFT WAS A CIRRUS, MODEL SR22, SERIAL NUMBER 0286, REGISTRATION NUMBER N921CD WITH A CONTINENTAL ENGINE MODEL TCM IO-550N7 SERIAL NUMBER 686352 AND HARTZELL PROPELLER MODEL NUMBER PHC-J3YF-1RF SERIAL NUMBER FP1823B.
RADAR DATA SHOWS THE CIRRUS, N921CD WAS FIRST CONTACTED ON AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL RADAR AT 0547:15 EDT, 900? MSL, IN A HEADING THAT INDICATED THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED FROM RUNWAY FIVE IN A 5° NORTHERLY DIRECTION. SECOND RADAR CONTACT WAS AT 0547:27 EDT, 1200? MSL, HEADED IN A NORTHWEST DIRECTION FROM THE PREVIOUS RADAR CONTACT. THIRD RADAR CONTACT WAS AT 0547:39 EDT. 1300? MSL, HEADED IN A MORE NORTHERLY DIRECTION INDICATING THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN A LEFT HAND BANK. FORTH RADAR CONTACT WAS AT 0547:51 EDT, 1300? MSL AIRCRAFT HEADED IN A NORTHWESTERLY DIRECTION APPEARING TO BE IN A LEFT HAND BANK. FIFTH RADAR CONTACT WAS AT 0548:03 EDT, 1300? MSL AIRCRAFT WAS HEADED IN A NORTHWEST DIRECTION APPEARING TO STILL BE IN A LEFT HAND BANK. SIXTH AND FINAL RADAR CONTACT WAS AT 0548:15 EDT, 1100? MSL AIRCRAFT WAS HEADED IN A WESTERLY DIRECTION APPEARING TO STILL BE IN A LEFT HAND BANK BUT DESCENDING IN ALTITUDE. SUMTER COUNTY SHERIFF?S OFFICE WAS NOTIFIED AT 0945 ON 07/24/2018 OF AN AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT IN THE VICINITY OF JIMMY CARTER REGIONAL AIRPORT. THIS OFFICE WAS NOTIFIED AT 11:11 EDT AND WAS ON SCENE AT 1430 EDT.
A WITNESS STATED, THAT AROUND 0550 EDT, HE HEARD AN AIRCRAFT WITH A ?WHINING HIGH PITCHED NOISE? THEN AN EXPLOSION THAT SHOOK HIS HOUSE. THE WITNESS RESIDES .46 MILES FROM THE ACCIDENT SITE.
THE AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED IN A PECAN ORCHARD AT (N32°08?9?, W84°11?40?) WITH A FIELD ELEVATION OF 477FT. THE AIRCRAFT CAME IN CONTACT WITH A PECAN TREE THEN IMPACTED THE GROUND 75FT AWAY IN A HEADING OF 179°. THE CONDITION OF THE BROKEN TREE (ONLY THE CENTER BRANCH BROKEN OUT, NO OTHER DAMAGE) AND THE PLACEMENT OF THE LEFT HAND WING TIP INDICATED THE AIRCRAFT?S LEFT WING MADE FIRST CONTACT AND WAS IN A LEFT HAND BANK AT THAT TIME. THE IMPACT CRATER WAS 3.5FT DEEP AND APPROXIMATELY 5.5FT WIDE. THE ENGINE AND INSTRUMENT PANEL CAME TO REST 75FT BEYOND THE IMPACT CRATER. THE DISTANCE FROM THE INITIAL CONTACT OF THE TREE TO THE FURTHEST ITEM FOUND IN THE DEBRIS FIELD WAS 400FT. DAMAGE TO AIRCRAFT AND TO PERSONNEL WAS CATASTROPHIC RESULTING IN A DESTROYED AIRCRAFT AND 2 FATALITIES.
A PRELIMINARY RECORDS REVIEW OF THE AIRCRAFT LOGBOOKS SHOWED THE AIRCRAFT WAS DUE ANNUAL 04/03/2019 (112 DAYS OVERDUE). THE AIRCRAFT WAS ALSO NOT CURRENT ON THE ATC TRANSPONDER CHECK AND THE PITOT STATIC LEAK CHECK. THESE TWO INSPECTIONS WERE LAST ACCOMPLISHED 09/01/2010.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.