20230402003909A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Cirrus Design SR22 · Oxbo, OR · April 2, 2023

Date
April 2, 2023 · 09:50 local
Place
Oxbo, OR
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N424SW
NTSB investigation
NTSBWPR23FA141
Reported as
Cirrus Design SR22
Reported engine
Continental IO-550-N
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
2
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Private pilot, student
Pilot’s flight hours
58 total

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.

Cirrus SR22, sn 3890 with pilot and one passenger, crashed near Oxbo, Oregon lat/long 44.96014N -119.85810W at approximately 9:50AM pacific time ending in high impact damage of the aircraft and personnel.

Pilot took on approximately 40 us gal of avgas prior to take off, departed caldwell executive airport (eul) for lewiston nez/perce county airport. Pilot climbed to a cruising altitude of 13,900 ft and cruise speed of approximate 165KT, approximately 30 minutes into the flight the aircraft makes a left hand descending turn with increasing airspeed to 236KTS an abrupt decrease to 174KTS slightly climbs and then disappears from flight tracking per ADS-B flight tracking at 12,700FT.

Witnesses on the ground recall hearing the aircraft passing over but was not visible do to cloud layer that covered the local mountain peaks. Cloud layer estimated to be 3000 ft, based on ground elevation off 2300 ft and mountain peaks of 4500FT and not visible. Witnesses heard a loud bang and the aircraft emerge from the cloud layer traveling in an almost vertical angle to the hill side. A minute or 2 later the ballistic parachute was seen floating from the cloud layer and landed in the river a half mile from where the aircraft emerged from the clouds.

Forecasted weather in the area was some precip and light icing, cloud layer 13,700 ft MSL and cloud tops at 14,000 ft MSL. Aircraft was equipped with tks deicing fluid system for wings and props, unable to confirm its use do to impact damage. Debris field was approximately 100 ft in radius from initial point of impact (ipoi).

Several aircraft part found by local witness in several locations to include 1. The upper half of the vertical stabilizer and rudder at one location (.9 miles from ipoi), 2. Ballistic parachute cover (1.2 miles from ipoi), 3. Composite strip several feet long (.8 miles from ipoi). Not found due to landing in the river, ballistic parachute (1.3 miles from ipoi). All parts found where in a northern direction from the ipoi.

Pilot hours of 58.9 hours was pulled from his last iacra 8710-1 submission. Total hours unknown due to exclusive use of foreflight electronic logbook. Ipad was destroy in impact and login unknown to retrieve actual hours.

Aircraft was current for annual inspections based on aircraft airframe logbook retrieved at the accident site.

As the FAA filed it

CIRRUS SR22, SN 3890 WITH PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER, CRASHED NEAR OXBO, OREGON LAT/LONG 44.96014N -119.85810W AT APPROXIMATELY 9:50AM PACIFIC TIME ENDING IN HIGH IMPACT DAMAGE OF THE AIRCRAFT AND PERSONNEL.

PILOT TOOK ON APPROXIMATELY 40 US GAL OF AVGAS PRIOR TO TAKE OFF, DEPARTED CALDWELL EXECUTIVE AIRPORT (EUL) FOR LEWISTON NEZ/PERCE COUNTY AIRPORT. PILOT CLIMBED TO A CRUISING ALTITUDE OF 13,900 FT AND CRUISE SPEED OF APPROXIMATE 165KT, APPROXIMATELY 30 MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT THE AIRCRAFT MAKES A LEFT HAND DESCENDING TURN WITH INCREASING AIRSPEED TO 236KTS AN ABRUPT DECREASE TO 174KTS SLIGHTLY CLIMBS AND THEN DISAPPEARS FROM FLIGHT TRACKING PER ADS-B FLIGHT TRACKING AT 12,700FT.

WITNESSES ON THE GROUND RECALL HEARING THE AIRCRAFT PASSING OVER BUT WAS NOT VISIBLE DO TO CLOUD LAYER THAT COVERED THE LOCAL MOUNTAIN PEAKS. CLOUD LAYER ESTIMATED TO BE 3000 FT, BASED ON GROUND ELEVATION OFF 2300 FT AND MOUNTAIN PEAKS OF 4500FT AND NOT VISIBLE. WITNESSES HEARD A LOUD BANG AND THE AIRCRAFT EMERGE FROM THE CLOUD LAYER TRAVELING IN AN ALMOST VERTICAL ANGLE TO THE HILL SIDE. A MINUTE OR 2 LATER THE BALLISTIC PARACHUTE WAS SEEN FLOATING FROM THE CLOUD LAYER AND LANDED IN THE RIVER A HALF MILE FROM WHERE THE AIRCRAFT EMERGED FROM THE CLOUDS.

FORECASTED WEATHER IN THE AREA WAS SOME PRECIP AND LIGHT ICING, CLOUD LAYER 13,700 FT MSL AND CLOUD TOPS AT 14,000 FT MSL. AIRCRAFT WAS EQUIPPED WITH TKS DEICING FLUID SYSTEM FOR WINGS AND PROPS, UNABLE TO CONFIRM ITS USE DO TO IMPACT DAMAGE. DEBRIS FIELD WAS APPROXIMATELY 100 FT IN RADIUS FROM INITIAL POINT OF IMPACT (IPOI).

SEVERAL AIRCRAFT PART FOUND BY LOCAL WITNESS IN SEVERAL LOCATIONS TO INCLUDE 1. THE UPPER HALF OF THE VERTICAL STABILIZER AND RUDDER AT ONE LOCATION (.9 MILES FROM IPOI), 2. BALLISTIC PARACHUTE COVER (1.2 MILES FROM IPOI), 3. COMPOSITE STRIP SEVERAL FEET LONG (.8 MILES FROM IPOI). NOT FOUND DUE TO LANDING IN THE RIVER, BALLISTIC PARACHUTE (1.3 MILES FROM IPOI). ALL PARTS FOUND WHERE IN A NORTHERN DIRECTION FROM THE IPOI.

PILOT HOURS OF 58.9 HOURS WAS PULLED FROM HIS LAST IACRA 8710-1 SUBMISSION. TOTAL HOURS UNKNOWN DUE TO EXCLUSIVE USE OF FOREFLIGHT ELECTRONIC LOGBOOK. IPAD WAS DESTROY IN IMPACT AND LOGIN UNKNOWN TO RETRIEVE ACTUAL HOURS.

AIRCRAFT WAS CURRENT FOR ANNUAL INSPECTIONS BASED ON AIRCRAFT AIRFRAME LOGBOOK RETRIEVED AT THE ACCIDENT SITE.

NTSB investigation

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