What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 24 March 2021, 1315 central daylight time N587CD a Cirrus SR22, crashed at Mustang Beach Airport (pez) Port Aransas, Texas. The private pilot (asel) was fatally injured . Two passengers were seriously injured and transported to local hospitals for injuries sustained. N587CD was destroyed.
Aircraft was registered to the privacy data omitted operating under the provisions of title 14 code of federal regulations part 91. The pilot and passengers were participating in an privacy data omitted event at the airport.
Post-accident:
The accident aircraft was not moved and was secured onsite by local police overnight, coordinated by the airport manager. The FAA and NTSB travelled to the accident the next morning.
Witness statements:
Multiple witness statements and personal interviews conducted by the FAA iic and NTSB iic from pilot(s) and lay-person(s) who witnessed all or part of the accident indicated; the aircraft was short/ low on final approach to runway 30 with wings rocking and possibly the left door open. Descriptions from the interviews described the aircraft-climbing steeply then left wing dropping and the right wing coming over the top in a counterclockwise rotation and the aircraft impacting the ground upside down (inverted nose first) with the parachute deploying on impact.
Investigation:
The aircraft impact and debri field started left of runway 30 at approximately 975 feet from the leading edge and approximately 100 feet from the runway centerline on a 260-degree trajectory. The propeller assembly was intact and buried in the ground approximately one foot with a portion of the crankshaft hub partially attached where it fractured at the flange during the initial inverted impact point. The left wing tip indicated impact damage and ground scar , (possibly during initial impact) the tail, upper forward cabin section and the engine mount partially separated. The aircraft continued the trajectory striking on the lower main landing gear , moving backwards together until coming to rest upright approximately 75 feet from nose impact.
Engine controls indicated full throttle, airspeed indicator (broken) indicated 67 knots. The HSI (broken caged) indicating aircraft orientation of inverted impact approximately 60 degrees relative to surface. Fuel was visually inspected in both tanks. The avidyne PFD and avidyne MFD ?cf card were removed by the Cirrus accident representative and provided to the NTSB for further examination.
FAA iic reviewed the aircraft/engine /prop log books found in the aircraft and verified aircraft had current annual inspection at time of the accident.
(AAM-631) cami autopsy team report was not complete at the time of 8020-23 submission.
As the FAA filed it
ON 24 MARCH 2021, 1315 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME N587CD A CIRRUS SR22, CRASHED AT MUSTANG BEACH AIRPORT (PEZ) PORT ARANSAS, TEXAS. THE PRIVATE PILOT (ASEL) WAS FATALLY INJURED . TWO PASSENGERS WERE SERIOUSLY INJURED AND TRANSPORTED TO LOCAL HOSPITALS FOR INJURIES SUSTAINED. N587CD WAS DESTROYED.
AIRCRAFT WAS REGISTERED TO THE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ OPERATING UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91. THE PILOT AND PASSENGERS WERE PARTICIPATING IN AN ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ EVENT AT THE AIRPORT.
POST-ACCIDENT:
THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT WAS NOT MOVED AND WAS SECURED ONSITE BY LOCAL POLICE OVERNIGHT, COORDINATED BY THE AIRPORT MANAGER. THE FAA AND NTSB TRAVELLED TO THE ACCIDENT THE NEXT MORNING.
WITNESS STATEMENTS:
MULTIPLE WITNESS STATEMENTS AND PERSONAL INTERVIEWS CONDUCTED BY THE FAA IIC AND NTSB IIC FROM PILOT(S) AND LAY-PERSON(S) WHO WITNESSED ALL OR PART OF THE ACCIDENT INDICATED; THE AIRCRAFT WAS SHORT/ LOW ON FINAL APPROACH TO RUNWAY 30 WITH WINGS ROCKING AND POSSIBLY THE LEFT DOOR OPEN. DESCRIPTIONS FROM THE INTERVIEWS DESCRIBED THE AIRCRAFT-CLIMBING STEEPLY THEN LEFT WING DROPPING AND THE RIGHT WING COMING OVER THE TOP IN A COUNTERCLOCKWISE ROTATION AND THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTING THE GROUND UPSIDE DOWN (INVERTED NOSE FIRST) WITH THE PARACHUTE DEPLOYING ON IMPACT.
INVESTIGATION:
THE AIRCRAFT IMPACT AND DEBRI FIELD STARTED LEFT OF RUNWAY 30 AT APPROXIMATELY 975 FEET FROM THE LEADING EDGE AND APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET FROM THE RUNWAY CENTERLINE ON A 260-DEGREE TRAJECTORY. THE PROPELLER ASSEMBLY WAS INTACT AND BURIED IN THE GROUND APPROXIMATELY ONE FOOT WITH A PORTION OF THE CRANKSHAFT HUB PARTIALLY ATTACHED WHERE IT FRACTURED AT THE FLANGE DURING THE INITIAL INVERTED IMPACT POINT.THE LEFT WING TIP INDICATED IMPACT DAMAGE AND GROUND SCAR , (POSSIBLY DURING INITIAL IMPACT) THE TAIL, UPPER FORWARD CABIN SECTION AND THE ENGINE MOUNT PARTIALLY SEPARATED. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED THE TRAJECTORY STRIKING ON THE LOWER MAIN LANDING GEAR , MOVING BACKWARDS TOGETHER UNTIL COMING TO REST UPRIGHT APPROXIMATELY 75 FEET FROM NOSE IMPACT.
ENGINE CONTROLS INDICATED FULL THROTTLE, AIRSPEED INDICATOR (BROKEN) INDICATED 67 KNOTS. THE HSI (BROKEN CAGED) INDICATING AIRCRAFT ORIENTATION OF INVERTED IMPACT APPROXIMATELY 60 DEGREES RELATIVE TO SURFACE. FUEL WAS VISUALLY INSPECTED IN BOTH TANKS. THE AVIDYNE PFD AND AVIDYNE MFD ?CF CARD WERE REMOVED BY THE CIRRUS ACCIDENT REPRESENTATIVE AND PROVIDED TO THE NTSB FOR FURTHER EXAMINATION.
FAA IIC REVIEWED THE AIRCRAFT/ENGINE /PROP LOG BOOKS FOUND IN THE AIRCRAFT AND VERIFIED AIRCRAFT HAD CURRENT ANNUAL INSPECTION AT TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.
(AAM-631) CAMI AUTOPSY TEAM REPORT WAS NOT COMPLETE AT THE TIME OF 8020-23 SUBMISSION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.