# Accident 20211216021789A: Cirrus Design Corp SR22, Rockford, TN, December 16, 2021

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: December 16, 2021, 09:55 local time
- Place: Rockford, TN
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 35.8338° N, 83.8602° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.8338&lon=-83.8602&mi=10
- Aircraft: N162AM, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N162AM-2022-11-19) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cirrus Design SR22 (registry code 2130001, https://openairdocs.org/model/cirrus-design-sr22) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental TSIO-550 series (registry code 17043, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-tsio-550-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CIRRUS DESIGN CORP SR22
- Reported engine: CONT MOTOR TSIO-550 SER
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 1
- Other injuries: 1
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 75 total
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA22LA089](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA22LA089) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20211216021789A

## Narrative

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

ON DECEMBER 16, 2021 A CIRRUS SR22, N162AM CRASHED APPROXIMATELY 1 TO 1 ½ NAUTICAL MILES OFF THE END OF RUNWAY 23L AT THE KNOXVILLE, TN AIRPORT (TYS).  THE CRASH SITE WAS PART OF AN ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^CONSTRUCTION LOT.  NO PERSONS ON THE GROUND WERE INJURED.  THE AIRCRAFT HAD 2 SOULS ON BOARD.  BOTH OCCUPANTS WERE CERTIFIED PRIVATE PILOTS.

THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE TYS AIRPORT AND WAS IN THE PATTERN FOR 23L.  THE FLIGHT WAS OPERATED UNDER VISUAL FLIGHT RULES AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED.

PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS TO DEMONSTRATE AN INSTALLED HUD (HEADS UP DISPLAY).

THE FLIGHT DID ONE LEFT HAND PATTERN WITH A TOUCH AND GO LANDING.  THE FIRST APPROACH TO LANDING WAS NORMAL.  THE SECOND PATTERN WAS A RIGHT PATTERN.  WHILE THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT WAS ON RIGHT HAND DOWNWIND AN AIRBUS A320 WAS CROSSING THE OUTER MAKER FOR RUNWAY 23L.  THE A320 WOULD BE THE AIRCRAFT THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT WOULD FOLLOW ON FINAL APPROACH.

WHILE ON DOWNWIND THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT WAS TOLD TO EXTEND DOWNWIND.  ATC TOLD THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT HE WAS FOLLOWING AN AIRBUS ON A 3 MILE FINAL BUT DID NOT ISSUE ?CAUTION WAKE TURBULENCE?.  THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT DID STATE ?WE HAVE THE AIRBUS IN SITE?.  ATC ISSUES LANDING CLEARANCE TO FOLLOW THE AIRBUS, BUT NO STATEMENT OF ?CAUTION WAKE TURBULENCE?.  ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT TURNED BASE AND ENTERS A FINAL AT AN ALTITUDE THAT APPEARS ON ATC DATA TO BE 100 TO 200 FEET LOWER THAN THE AIRBUS WAS AT THE POINT OF INTERSECTING THE EXTENDED CENTERLINE FOR RUNWAY 23L.  RADAR CONTACT IS LOST AT 14:54:59Z/09:54:59 LOCAL.

AIRCRAFT?S PARACHUTE SYSTEM WAS DEPLOYED AT A VERY LOW ALTITUDE.  AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND AND SLID INTO A 2? WIDE CONCRETE POLE THAT MADE CONTACT WITH THE LEFT HAND WING ROOT.  AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED BY POST FIRE CRASH.  BOTH OCCUPANTS OF THE AIRCRAFT DID GET OUT OF THE AIRCRAFT.  ONE PILOT DIED, BUT BEFORE HE WAS TAKEN AWAY BY FIRST RESPONDERS, A POLICE REPORT DID INDICATE HE MADE THE STATEMENT ?THEY ENCOUNTERED WAKE TURBULENCE, THE AIRCRAFT LOSS LIFT AND ROLLED INVERTED?.

BOTH OCCUPANTS WERE CERTIFIED PILOTS BUT ONE PILOT DID NOT HAVE A VALID MEDICAL CERTIFICATE.

## 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 ERA22LA089](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA22LA089), Dec 16, 2021: Cirrus Design SR22 (N162AM), Knoxville, TN, destroyed, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot’s encounter with a wake vortex from a preceding airplane, which resulted in a roll upset at an altitude too low for recovery. Contributing to the accident was the failure of ATC to issue a…

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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