# Accident 20210515009169A: Cirrus Design Corp SR22, Whitewater, WI, May 15, 2021

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: May 15, 2021, 21:15 local time
- Place: Whitewater, WI
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Descent
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 42.7879° N, 88.6841° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=42.7879&lon=-88.6841&mi=10
- Aircraft: N4144B, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N4144B-2022-08-27) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cirrus Design SR22 (registry code 2130001, https://openairdocs.org/model/cirrus-design-sr22) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental IO-550 series (registry code 17042, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-io-550-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CIRRUS DESIGN CORP SR22
- Reported engine: CONT MOTOR IO-550 SERIES
- People aboard: 3
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 588 total, 280 in this make and model, 15 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CEN21LA232](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN21LA232) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20210515009169A

## Narrative

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

ON MAY 15, 2021 AT APPROXIMATELY 2115 LOCAL TIME A CIRRUS SR22 REGISTRATION NUMBER N4144B WITH THE PILOT AND TWO PASSENGERS DEPARTED ON AN IFR PART 91 FLIGHT FROM (SBM) SHEBOYGAN COUNTY AIRPORT SHEBOYGAN, WI TO (BUU) BURLINGTON MUNICIPAL AIRPORT BURLINGTON, WI. THE PILOT REPORTED ON CLIMB OUT ATC CONTACTED HIM AND INFORMED HIM HE WAS NOT ON THE CORRECT HEADING, THE PILOT NOTED THE AIRCRAFT WAS ON THE HEADING HE SELECTED. BASED ON THE ATC CALL, HE IMMEDIATELY TURNED OFF THE AP AND HAD HAND FLEW THE PLANE AS VECTORED BY ATC TO THE ALT, AND HEADING. HE THEN THEN TURNED ON THE AP AND ENGAGED NAV GPSS MODE AND THE PLANE FLEW HIM TO IAF. LATER IN THE FLIGHT HE STATED HE TURNED THE AP OFF AGAIN AS HE OVER SHOT THE IAF WAITING ON A VECTOR FROM ATC. HE COULDN?T RECAPTURE THE RNAV11 IN, SO HE ASKED FOR VECTORS BACK AROUND. HE WAS GIVEN A 360 HEADING, THEN 270 THEN 090 BUT WAS STILL INSIDE THE IAF. HIS ATTITUDE INDICATOR WAS SHOWING TURNS TO THE RIGHT BUT HIS TURN COORDINATOR WAS SHOWING LEFT. HE STATED HE SAW ON THE 430 THAT HE HAD MADE A LEFT TURN AND WAS TRACKING AS ASKED BY ATC. HE HAD ASKED FOR VECTORS BACK AROUND AGAIN AND INFORMED ATC THAT HE WAS HAVING INSTRUMENT PROBLEMS. HE THEN REPORTED LOOSING COMMUNICATIONS WITH ATC. THE PILOT STATED HE RECEIVED A CALL FROM A LOCAL HELICOPTER TO TUNE TO 126.5 AND SWITCHED. HE WAS ASKED IS INTENTIONS AND ASKED FOR VECTORS BACK TO THE IAF AND GET LOWER. HE STATED THE HELICOPTER INFORMED HIM HE COULD GET HIM TO 2500?. THE PILOT STATED AT THIS POINT HE WAS FLYING IN CIRCLES NEAR THE HOLD PATTERN AND LOST CONTACT WITH ATC AGAIN. HE STATED AFTER 10 MINUTES OF CHASING THE APPROACH HE WAS LOSING CONFIDENCE IN THE CHANCES OF MAKING THE APPROACH HAPPEN. HE STATED HE SAW 3,000FT AND 153 KNOTS ON HIS INSTRUMENTS, SO HE PULLED THE POWER OUT, PULLED BACK ON THE YOKE, AND PULLED THE CHUTE AT AROUND 60 KNOTS. UPON CHUTE DEPLOYMENT THE PILOTS? DOOR DEPARTED THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDED ON THE CHUTE UNTIL CONTACTING THE TREES REMAINING ALOFT BETWEEN BRANCHES OF THE TREE. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. IMC CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME.

## 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 CEN21LA232](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN21LA232), May 16, 2021: Cirrus Design SR22 (N4144B), Whitewater, WI, substantial damage. Probable cause: An inflight instrument malfunction for reasons that could not be determined based on available information, which led to the pilot’s decision to activate the airframe parachute system.

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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