20220209001509A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Cirrus Design SR22 · Southern Pines, NC · February 9, 2022

Date: February 9, 2022 · 17:50 local
Place: Southern Pines, NC
Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N987AA
NTSB investigation: NTSBERA22LA125
Reported as: Cirrus Design SR22
Reported engine: Continental IO-550 series
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,465 total1,004 in this make and model65 in the last 90 days

N987AARegistration cancelled Jul 1, 2023 · Cirrus Design SR22S/N 0513 · Built 2003 Airframe modelCirrus Design SR22 Engine modelContinental IO-550 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Army helicopter was making an approach to runway 5 at ksop and making the proper radio calls on the CTAF frequency of 123.05. The army helicopter had the right of way.

N987AA was making an approach to runway 23 at ksop and transmitting on the wrong frequency of 122.7 which is the frequency for harnett county airport. N987AA caught a glimps of the army helicopter down low over the other end of runway 23 but thought the helicopter was moving clear of the runway. Pilot of N987AA reported the sun was setting and causing a glare.

The army helicopter had to do an evasive maneuver to avoid colliding with N987AA.

N987AA caught the rotor wash of the helicopter and lost control crashing onto the runway.

As the FAA filed it

ARMY HELICOPTER WAS MAKING AN APPROACH TO RUNWAY 5 AT KSOP AND MAKING THE PROPER RADIO CALLS ON THE CTAF FREQUENCY OF 123.05. THE ARMY HELICOPTER HAD THE RIGHT OF WAY.

N987AA WAS MAKING AN APPROACH TO RUNWAY 23 AT KSOP AND TRANSMITTING ON THE WRONG FREQUENCY OF 122.7 WHICH IS THE FREQUENCY FOR HARNETT COUNTY AIRPORT. N987AA CAUGHT A GLIMPS OF THE ARMY HELICOPTER DOWN LOW OVER THE OTHER END OF RUNWAY 23 BUT THOUGHT THE HELICOPTER WAS MOVING CLEAR OF THE RUNWAY. PILOT OF N987AA REPORTED THE SUN WAS SETTING AND CAUSING A GLARE.

THE ARMY HELICOPTER HAD TO DO AN EVASIVE MANEUVER TO AVOID COLLIDING WITH N987AA.

N987AA CAUGHT THE ROTOR WASH OF THE HELICOPTER AND LOST CONTROL CRASHING ONTO THE RUNWAY.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB ERA22LA125Accident · No injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal reportPinehurst, NCThe in-flight encounter while on final approach with high-speed trailing vortices from a military helicopter, resulting in abnormal runway contact. Contributing to the accident was the Cirrus pilot’s incorrect selection of the common traffic advisory…Feb 9, 2022 · Substantial damage