What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
02/24/2023 privacy data omitted Cirrus SR22 impacted frozen river shortly after takeoff from dlh.
At 4:03 pm CSTprivacy data omitted departed Duluth MN (dlh) for a short reposition from dlh to superior WI (suw). The pilot owned the airplane with a partner and based it at suw. According to ADS-B data and data downloaded from the airplane’s remote data module (rdm), about 4 minutes after takeoff from dlh, the airplane was on approach to suw. It was at 1,300 ft mean sea level while on an approximate 4-mile final approach for runway 14 at suw. It suddenly pitched down about 30° and impacted a frozen river. Review of the rdm data did not reveal any preimpact malfunctions.
There were no signs of control input from the pilot to arrest the descent. The pilot was fatally injured and the aircraft was destroyed. The debris field was approximately 300 feet long and 30 feet wide.
Examination of the airframe identified the four corners of the airplane. The empennage remained intact. The forward cockpit section and instrument panel were destroyed but identified. The ailerons and flaps separated from their respective wing, but were identified. The elevator and rudder cables extended into the ice and had to be cut by recovery crews to free the empennage. Aileron control cable continuity was confirmed from both ailerons, through cable breaks consistent with overstress, to the cockpit area. The flap jackscrews were not recovered, but rdm data indicated that they were extended 50 percent. The elevator pitch trim motor was found in the full nose-up trim position.
The rdm data indicated that the engine was operating within normal range until the end of the data.
As the FAA filed it
02/24/2023 ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ CIRRUS SR22 IMPACTED FROZEN RIVER SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF FROM DLH.
AT 4:03 PM CST^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DEPARTED DULUTH MN (DLH) FOR A SHORT REPOSITION FROM DLH TO SUPERIOR WI (SUW). THE PILOT OWNED THE AIRPLANE WITH A PARTNER AND BASED IT AT SUW. ACCORDING TO ADS-B DATA AND DATA DOWNLOADED FROM THE AIRPLANE’S REMOTE DATA MODULE (RDM), ABOUT 4 MINUTES AFTER TAKEOFF FROM DLH, THE AIRPLANE WAS ON APPROACH TO SUW. IT WAS AT 1,300 FT MEAN SEA LEVEL WHILE ON AN APPROXIMATE 4-MILE FINAL APPROACH FOR RUNWAY 14 AT SUW. IT SUDDENLY PITCHED DOWN ABOUT 30° AND IMPACTED A FROZEN RIVER. REVIEW OF THE RDM DATA DID NOT REVEAL ANY PREIMPACT MALFUNCTIONS.
THERE WERE NO SIGNS OF CONTROL INPUT FROM THE PILOT TO ARREST THE DESCENT. THE PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED. THE DEBRIS FIELD WAS APPROXIMATELY 300 FEET LONG AND 30 FEET WIDE.
EXAMINATION OF THE AIRFRAME IDENTIFIED THE FOUR CORNERS OF THE AIRPLANE. THE EMPENNAGE REMAINED INTACT. THE FORWARD COCKPIT SECTION AND INSTRUMENT PANEL WERE DESTROYED BUT IDENTIFIED. THE AILERONS AND FLAPS SEPARATED FROM THEIR RESPECTIVE WING, BUT WERE IDENTIFIED. THE ELEVATOR AND RUDDER CABLES EXTENDED INTO THE ICE AND HAD TO BE CUT BY RECOVERY CREWS TO FREE THE EMPENNAGE. AILERON CONTROL CABLE CONTINUITY WAS CONFIRMED FROM BOTH AILERONS, THROUGH CABLE BREAKS CONSISTENT WITH OVERSTRESS, TO THE COCKPIT AREA. THE FLAP JACKSCREWS WERE NOT RECOVERED, BUT RDM DATA INDICATED THAT THEY WERE EXTENDED 50 PERCENT. THE ELEVATOR PITCH TRIM MOTOR WAS FOUND IN THE FULL NOSE-UP TRIM POSITION.
THE RDM DATA INDICATED THAT THE ENGINE WAS OPERATING WITHIN NORMAL RANGE UNTIL THE END OF THE DATA.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.