20240413003419A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Cirrus Design SR20 · Chesterfield, MO · April 13, 2024

Date
April 13, 2024 · 12:55 local
Place
Chesterfield, MO
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Rotation
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N594M
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN24LA159
Reported as
Cirrus Design SR20
Reported engine
Lycoming IO-390-C3B6
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, flight instructor, private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
831 total100 in this make and model102 in the last 90 days

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.

The aircraft, a Cirrus SR20, was operated by a certified flight instructor (CFI) and student pilot. The aircraft had been working in the traffic pattern as part of the student pilots flight training. The aircraft was cleared for take-off on runway 26R. The air traffic controller stated that they were scanning the field after giving the aircraft clearance for take-off when they looked back at the aircraft, and it was off the runway about 2000 feet from the approach end. The student pilot stated that they were attempting to perform a simulated soft field take-off at the time of the accident. He said that he had the yoke pulled back as they increased power, but the aircraft quickly pitched up and the stall horn began to sound. The student pilot and the CFI attempted to nose the aircraft over, but the aircraft descended into the ground. The impact resulted in substantial damage to the propeller, engine mounts, engine firewall, right wing flap controls, and right-wing root. Additionally, both the nose landing gear and right landing gear were sheared from the aircraft. The CFI stated that the student pilot held the yoke too FAR back and was unable to correct it prior to the aircraft pitching up and then aircraft impacting the ground. No injuries were reported.

As the FAA filed it

THE AIRCRAFT, A CIRRUS SR20, WAS OPERATED BY A CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR (CFI) AND STUDENT PILOT. THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN WORKING IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN AS PART OF THE STUDENT PILOTS FLIGHT TRAINING. THE AIRCRAFT WAS CLEARED FOR TAKE-OFF ON RUNWAY 26R. THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER STATED THAT THEY WERE SCANNING THE FIELD AFTER GIVING THE AIRCRAFT CLEARANCE FOR TAKE-OFF WHEN THEY LOOKED BACK AT THE AIRCRAFT, AND IT WAS OFF THE RUNWAY ABOUT 2000 FEET FROM THE APPROACH END. THE STUDENT PILOT STATED THAT THEY WERE ATTEMPTING TO PERFORM A SIMULATED SOFT FIELD TAKE-OFF AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. HE SAID THAT HE HAD THE YOKE PULLED BACK AS THEY INCREASED POWER, BUT THE AIRCRAFT QUICKLY PITCHED UP AND THE STALL HORN BEGAN TO SOUND. THE STUDENT PILOT AND THE CFI ATTEMPTED TO NOSE THE AIRCRAFT OVER, BUT THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDED INTO THE GROUND. THE IMPACT RESULTED IN SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE PROPELLER, ENGINE MOUNTS, ENGINE FIREWALL, RIGHT WING FLAP CONTROLS, AND RIGHT-WING ROOT. ADDITIONALLY, BOTH THE NOSE LANDING GEAR AND RIGHT LANDING GEAR WERE SHEARED FROM THE AIRCRAFT. THE CFI STATED THAT THE STUDENT PILOT HELD THE YOKE TOO FAR BACK AND WAS UNABLE TO CORRECT IT PRIOR TO THE AIRCRAFT PITCHING UP AND THEN AIRCRAFT IMPACTING THE GROUND. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED.

NTSB investigation

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