20260423011549A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Cirrus Design SR22T · Chanute, KS · April 23, 2026

Date
April 23, 2026 · 14:30 local
Place
Chanute, KS
Airport
Chanute Martin Johnson
Phase of flight
Descent
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N39VF
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN26LA173
Reported as
Cirrus Design SR22T
Reported engine
Continental TSIO-550-K
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
2
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
1,959 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.

Flight originated in henderson, NV and flying to knoxville, TN using VFR flight following. First fuel stop was C08 and filled tank full to 92 gal. Took off to destination sikeston, MO for a final fuel stop before knoxville.

Crusing at 17,500 with normal engine readings when the manifold pressure went from approximately 30.5 to 14 psig. Pilot reported thumping and banging coming from engine bay. Started losing oil pressure but CHT and EGT still looked ok. Due to fast loss of oil pressure, pilot shut down engine by turning fuel selector off, pulling throttle to idle, and pulling mixture knob. Pilot selected cnu/Chanute, KS for an emergency landing. METAR reportede MVFR conditions with cloud layer at approx 2,200 and wind approx 35K at 180 degrees. Pilot followed ATC vectors for runway 18 at Chanute.

After breaking cloud layer, pilot realized they were unable to make the runway. Pilot avoided high-tension power lines by turning 90 degrees left and then pulled Cirrus automatic parachute system (caps) handle. Aircraft cleared the power lines and hit the ground hard.

Plane was level shortly before wind flipped plane upside down and dragged it to the end of the first field. Aircraft hit a tree. This stood the plane on it's nose. Pilot tried to get out, but another wind gust pulled the plane through the row of trees and flipped it upright facing the opposite direction. Copilot saw the front caps line and pilot / copilot tried to cut the straps. After front straps were cut, another gust of wind pulled the aircraft across the second field. Pilot egressed onto the wing and slipped. Pilot fell in the direction the plane was moving and dragged underneath the wing. Pilot lost consciousness at this point. Copilot egressed onto wing and a pick-up truck drove up from the nearby highway and pulled in front of the path of the plane. The plane hit the truck and the copilot fell off the wing.

Another gust of wind lifted the plane over the truck and the aircraft finally landed in a grove of trees across the highway where it came to rest.

As the FAA filed it

FLIGHT ORIGINATED IN HENDERSON, NV AND FLYING TO KNOXVILLE, TN USING VFR FLIGHT FOLLOWING. FIRST FUEL STOP WAS C08 AND FILLED TANK FULL TO 92 GAL. TOOK OFF TO DESTINATION SIKESTON, MO FOR A FINAL FUEL STOP BEFORE KNOXVILLE.

CRUSING AT 17,500 WITH NORMAL ENGINE READINGS WHEN THE MANIFOLD PRESSURE WENT FROM APPROXIMATELY 30.5 TO 14 PSIG. PILOT REPORTED THUMPING AND BANGING COMING FROM ENGINE BAY. STARTED LOSING OIL PRESSURE BUT CHT AND EGT STILL LOOKED OK. DUE TO FAST LOSS OF OIL PRESSURE, PILOT SHUT DOWN ENGINE BY TURNING FUEL SELECTOR OFF, PULLING THROTTLE TO IDLE, AND PULLING MIXTURE KNOB. PILOT SELECTED CNU/CHANUTE, KS FOR AN EMERGENCY LANDING. METAR REPORTEDE MVFR CONDITIONS WITH CLOUD LAYER AT APPROX 2,200 AND WIND APPROX 35K AT 180 DEGREES. PILOT FOLLOWED ATC VECTORS FOR RUNWAY 18 AT CHANUTE.

AFTER BREAKING CLOUD LAYER, PILOT REALIZED THEY WERE UNABLE TO MAKE THE RUNWAY. PILOT AVOIDED HIGH-TENSION POWER LINES BY TURNING 90 DEGREES LEFT AND THEN PULLED CIRRUS AUTOMATIC PARACHUTE SYSTEM (CAPS) HANDLE. AIRCRAFT CLEARED THE POWER LINES AND HIT THE GROUND HARD.

PLANE WAS LEVEL SHORTLY BEFORE WIND FLIPPED PLANE UPSIDE DOWN AND DRAGGED IT TO THE END OF THE FIRST FIELD. AIRCRAFT HIT A TREE. THIS STOOD THE PLANE ON IT'S NOSE. PILOT TRIED TO GET OUT, BUT ANOTHER WIND GUST PULLED THE PLANE THROUGH THE ROW OF TREES AND FLIPPED IT UPRIGHT FACING THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. COPILOT SAW THE FRONT CAPS LINE AND PILOT / COPILOT TRIED TO CUT THE STRAPS. AFTER FRONT STRAPS WERE CUT, ANOTHER GUST OF WIND PULLED THE AIRCRAFT ACROSS THE SECOND FIELD. PILOT EGRESSED ONTO THE WING AND SLIPPED. PILOT FELL IN THE DIRECTION THE PLANE WAS MOVING AND DRAGGED UNDERNEATH THE WING. PILOT LOST CONSCIOUSNESS AT THIS POINT. COPILOT EGRESSED ONTO WING AND A PICK-UP TRUCK DROVE UP FROM THE NEARBY HIGHWAY AND PULLED IN FRONT OF THE PATH OF THE PLANE. THE PLANE HIT THE TRUCK AND THE COPILOT FELL OFF THE WING.

ANOTHER GUST OF WIND LIFTED THE PLANE OVER THE TRUCK AND THE AIRCRAFT FINALLY LANDED IN A GROVE OF TREES ACROSS THE HIGHWAY WHERE IT CAME TO REST.

NTSB investigation

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