20251223020589A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Cirrus Design SR22T · Lake Elsinore, CA · December 23, 2025

Date: December 23, 2025 · 14:55 local
Place: Lake Elsinore, CA
Airport: Santa Ana
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N272HM
NTSB investigation: NTSBWPR26LA071
Reported as: Cirrus Design SR22T
Reported engine: Continental TSIO-550-K
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificates: Private pilot, student
Pilot’s flight hours: 714 total547 in this make and model31 in the last 90 days

N272HMRegistered now · Cirrus Design SR22TS/N 1079 · Built 2015 Airframe modelCirrus Design SR22T Engine modelContinental TSIO-550-KReciprocating

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.

Pilot made two errors according to statement,

1. Missed headings via instructions from tower.

2. Disconnected autopilot in IMC conditions

Pilot elected to deploy parachute for aircraft which in turn landed in a ravine with substantial damage. Aircraft was taken to Arizona for evaluation by NTSB.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT MADE TWO ERRORS ACCORDING TO STATEMENT,

1. MISSED HEADINGS VIA INSTRUCTIONS FROM TOWER.

2. DISCONNECTED AUTOPILOT IN IMC CONDITIONS

PILOT ELECTED TO DEPLOY PARACHUTE FOR AIRCRAFT WHICH IN TURN LANDED IN A RAVINE WITH SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. AIRCRAFT WAS TAKEN TO ARIZONA FOR EVALUATION BY NTSB.

NTSB investigation

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

NTSB WPR26LA071Accident · No injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal reportLake Elsinore, CAThe pilot’s intentional deployment of the airframe parachute system due to task-saturation in instrument meteorological conditions.Dec 23, 2025 · Substantial damage