# Accident 20251021020129A: Cirrus Design Corp SR22, Ruston, LA, October 21, 2025

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: October 21, 2025, 09:45 local time
- Place: Ruston, LA
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 32.4728° N, 92.5723° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.4728&lon=-92.5723&mi=10
- Aircraft: N42BE, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N42BE) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cirrus Design SR22 (registry code 2130001, https://openairdocs.org/model/cirrus-design-sr22) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental IO-550-N (registry code 17215, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-io-550-n) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CIRRUS DESIGN CORP SR22
- Reported engine: CONT MOTOR IO-550-N
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 1
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 1,066 total, 928 in this make and model, 24 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA26FA019](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA26FA019) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20251021020129A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

ACCORDING TO PRELIMINARY FLIGHT TRACK DATA, THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED FROM HUNTSVILLE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (UTS), HUNTSVILLE, TEXAS AT 0830 WITH A DESTINATION OF RUSTON REGIONAL AIRPORT (RSN), RUSTON, LOUISIANA. PRELIMINARY ADS-B DATA SHOWED THE AIRPLANE ON THE RNAV APPROACH FOR RUNWAY 36 BEFORE A SERIES OF “S” TURNS OCCURRED. THE DATA STOPS JUST NORTH OF THE ACCIDENT SITE. PRELIMINARY ATC AUDIO REVEALED THAT THE APPROACH CONTROLLER HAD CLEARED THE PILOT FOR THE RNAV 36. THE PILOT ACKNOWLEDGE, BUT SHORTLY AFTER THE PILOT RADIOED BACK TO THE APPROACH CONTROLLER TO REQUEST A GO-AROUND. THE APPROACH CONTROLLER ACKNOWLEDGE AND RESPONDED TO CLIMB AND MAINTAIN 2000 AND TO TURN RIGHT HEADING 120. THE APPROACH CLEARANCE WAS CANCELLED. THE APPROACH CONTROLLER ASKED THE PILOT IF THE VISIBILITY OR CEILINGS WERE TOO LOW. THE PILOT RESPONDED THAT HE WAS HAVING A “LITTLE TROUBLE WITH MY AUTOPILOT THERE GETTING THAT PROGRAMMED IN”. THE CONTROLLER ASKED THE PILOT TO VERIFY THE HEADING AND GAVE A LOW ALTITUDE ALERT. THE CONTROLLER THAN AGAIN ASKED THE PILOT TO VERIFY THE HEADING AND ASKED THE PILOT IF HE WAS FLYING USING THE AUTO PILOT OR “HAND FLYING”. THE PILOT RESPONDED THAT HE WAS “HAND FLYING” THE AIRPLANE AND THERE WAS NO FURTHER COMMUNICATION FROM THE PILOT RECEIVED.

THE ACCIDENT SITE WAS LOCATED IN HEAVILY WOODED TERRAIN 2.5 MILES SOUTHEAST FROM THE BEGINNING OF RUNWAY 36 OF THE RUSTON REGIONAL AIRPORT. THE AIRPLANE FIRST CONTACTED A TREE 60 FT TALL, BEFORE CONTACTING THREE OTHER TREES AT ALTITUDES OF 30 FT, 27FT, AND 24 FT RESPECTIVELY. THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED IN A NOSE LOW ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE TERRAIN IN A LEFT WING HIGH, 110° BANK ANGLE BEFORE CONTACTING THE TERRAIN. THE IMPACT CRATER WAS 30 FT FROM THE INITIAL TREE STRIKE. THE IMPACT CRATER WAS 2FT IN DEPTH AND 6 FT IN CIRCUMFERENCE. THE MAIN DEBRIS FIELD WAS 200 FT IN LENGTH IN 60 FT WIDE AND TRAVELED ALONG A 103° HEADING, WITH DEBRIS EXTENDING OUTWARDS 330 FT BEYOND THE INITIAL TREE STRIKE.  A POSTCRASH FIRE ENSUED AND CONSUMED VARIOUS PORTIONS OF THE AIRPLANE. FUEL BLIGHTING WAS VISIBLE ON VEGETATION THROUGHOUT THE DEBRIS FIELD.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB ERA26FA019](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA26FA019), Oct 21, 2025: Cirrus SR22 (N42BE), Ruston, LA, destroyed, 1 fatal, investigation ongoing

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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