What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On may 11, 2024, at 1300 local time, a Cirrus Design Corp. SR22 aircraft, N815CD, registered to and flown by an instrument rated private pilot received substantial damage following a loss of control and runway excursion during landing at the Howard Nixon Memorial Airport (50G), Chesaning, Michigan. VFR conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The flight was being conducted under the provisions of title 14 code of federal regulations (CFR) part 91 with a flight plan. One passenger received serious injuries while the pilot and two other passengers were unharmed.
According to the pilot the accident flight was to be the final stop prior to heading back to his home base near indianapolis, Indiana. The pilot stated he was lined up on runway 27 (a grass 2800’ x 150’ runway) but did not realize the trees were so tall at the approach end that he had to descend at a steeper angle. The aircraft touched down almost mid-field on the wet grass. The pilot also says once he applied the brakes it felt like the aircraft sped up. Once he realized that braking was ineffective, he attempted a go-around applying full power, but the aircraft would not climb with full flaps still deployed. The aircraft remained relatively straight with the runway overrunning the threshold and continuing to travel an additional 387 feet, crossing an open drainage ditch, finally coming to rest in the tree line that parallels the ditch. One passenger seated in the right rear seat was unrestrained during the landing and was thrown forward and up, striking her lower back on the ceiling of the aircraft. The pilot and 2 other passengers were able to egress from the aircraft.
Investigation shows the aircraft upright resting against the trees on a heading of 250 degrees. There is a 20-foot wide by 10-foot-deep drainage ditch that the aft section of the aircraft is hanging over. The ballistic recovery system was not deployed, and the deployment handle was secured by first responders. The propellor shows forward bending of all 3 blades, indicative of a high-power setting during impact. Both wings show leading edge impact damage as well as both flaps. All 3 landing gear were also damaged. The right-side entry door was remover by rescue personnel. It is unknown if the ELT deployed. There was no post-crash fire. Airport manager reported, at the time of the accident, the grass to be very wet due to rain the previous evening. Weather reported: krnp 111815Z auto 31011G20KT 10SM SCT027 BKN032 13/06 A2967.
As the FAA filed it
ON MAY 11, 2024, AT 1300 LOCAL TIME, A CIRRUS DESIGN CORP. SR22 AIRCRAFT, N815CD, REGISTERED TO AND FLOWN BY AN INSTRUMENT RATED PRIVATE PILOT RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE FOLLOWING A LOSS OF CONTROL AND RUNWAY EXCURSION DURING LANDING AT THE HOWARD NIXON MEMORIAL AIRPORT (50G), CHESANING, MICHIGAN. VFR CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE FLIGHT WAS BEING CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (CFR) PART 91 WITH A FLIGHT PLAN. ONE PASSENGER RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES WHILE THE PILOT AND TWO OTHER PASSENGERS WERE UNHARMED.
ACCORDING TO THE PILOT THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT WAS TO BE THE FINAL STOP PRIOR TO HEADING BACK TO HIS HOME BASE NEAR INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA. THE PILOT STATED HE WAS LINED UP ON RUNWAY 27 (A GRASS 2800’ X 150’ RUNWAY) BUT DID NOT REALIZE THE TREES WERE SO TALL AT THE APPROACH END THAT HE HAD TO DESCEND AT A STEEPER ANGLE. THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN ALMOST MID-FIELD ON THE WET GRASS. THE PILOT ALSO SAYS ONCE HE APPLIED THE BRAKES IT FELT LIKE THE AIRCRAFT SPED UP. ONCE HE REALIZED THAT BRAKING WAS INEFFECTIVE, HE ATTEMPTED A GO-AROUND APPLYING FULL POWER, BUT THE AIRCRAFT WOULD NOT CLIMB WITH FULL FLAPS STILL DEPLOYED. THE AIRCRAFT REMAINED RELATIVELY STRAIGHT WITH THE RUNWAY OVERRUNNING THE THRESHOLD AND CONTINUING TO TRAVEL AN ADDITIONAL 387 FEET, CROSSING AN OPEN DRAINAGE DITCH, FINALLY COMING TO REST IN THE TREE LINE THAT PARALLELS THE DITCH. ONE PASSENGER SEATED IN THE RIGHT REAR SEAT WAS UNRESTRAINED DURING THE LANDING AND WAS THROWN FORWARD AND UP, STRIKING HER LOWER BACK ON THE CEILING OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT AND 2 OTHER PASSENGERS WERE ABLE TO EGRESS FROM THE AIRCRAFT.
INVESTIGATION SHOWS THE AIRCRAFT UPRIGHT RESTING AGAINST THE TREES ON A HEADING OF 250 DEGREES. THERE IS A 20-FOOT WIDE BY 10-FOOT-DEEP DRAINAGE DITCH THAT THE AFT SECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT IS HANGING OVER. THE BALLISTIC RECOVERY SYSTEM WAS NOT DEPLOYED, AND THE DEPLOYMENT HANDLE WAS SECURED BY FIRST RESPONDERS. THE PROPELLOR SHOWS FORWARD BENDING OF ALL 3 BLADES, INDICATIVE OF A HIGH-POWER SETTING DURING IMPACT. BOTH WINGS SHOW LEADING EDGE IMPACT DAMAGE AS WELL AS BOTH FLAPS. ALL 3 LANDING GEAR WERE ALSO DAMAGED. THE RIGHT-SIDE ENTRY DOOR WAS REMOVER BY RESCUE PERSONNEL. IT IS UNKNOWN IF THE ELT DEPLOYED. THERE WAS NO POST-CRASH FIRE. AIRPORT MANAGER REPORTED, AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, THE GRASS TO BE VERY WET DUE TO RAIN THE PREVIOUS EVENING. WEATHER REPORTED: KRNP 111815Z AUTO 31011G20KT 10SM SCT027 BKN032 13/06 A2967.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.