# NTSB CEN20CA335: Cirrus SR22, N678EC, Lafayette, IN, August 11, 2020 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Class 4 · Data collection · Final report - Date: August 11, 2020, 17:20 local (21:20 UTC) - Place: Lafayette, IN - Coordinates: 40.411666, -87.257225 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.4117&lon=-87.2572&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Enroute: Abrupt maneuver](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/270) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious, 1 minor, 1 uninjured - Status: Completed - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: FAA - NTSB case key (mKey): 101787 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN20CA335 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/101787/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=101787 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN20CA335 ## Probable cause The pilot's failure to monitor aircraft control, which resulted in a loss of control when a passenger inadvertently moved the control stick, and the pilot and other passenger's decision to unbuckle their restraints inflight. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Info processing/decision: decision making/judgment](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041520): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Cirrus Design SR22, 38 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041520/cases.md?model=2130001), [All aircraft, 3,098 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041520/cases.md) - [Info processing/decision: understanding/comprehension](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041515): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Passenger (probable cause); cases with it: [Cirrus Design SR22, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041515/cases.md?model=2130001), [All aircraft, 70 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041515/cases.md) - [Performance/control parameters: altitude](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062012): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Incorrect use/operation (probable cause); cases with it: [Cirrus Design SR22, 10 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062012/cases.md?model=2130001), [All aircraft, 1,310 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062012/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Enroute: Abrupt maneuver](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/270) (defining event); cases with it: [Cirrus Design SR22, 3 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/270/sequence.md?model=2130001), [All aircraft, 346 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/270/sequence.md) ## Analysis During a cross-country flight, the pilot and a passenger in the rear seat unbuckled their seat belts to try to retrieve items behind the pilot's seat. An adult passenger seated in the front right seat, who was unfamiliar with the side-stick controller in the airplane, grabbed the side-stick controller while adjusting their seat. The pressure on the control stick caused the airplane to violently climb and descend 3-4 times before the pilot was able to regain control. During the excursions the pilot and the back-seat passenger bounced off the ceiling, resulting in minor injuries to the pilot and serious injuries to the unrestrained passenger. The pilot declared an emergency and proceeded direct to Chicago Executive Airport where he landed uneventfully. The pilot stated there was nothing wrong with the airplane prior to the event occurring and the airplane was not damaged. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N678EC](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N678EC), registered now, S/N 2881, built 2007 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Cirrus SR22 (Undesignat) - Registry model: [Cirrus Design SR22](https://openairdocs.org/model/cirrus-design-sr22) (registry code 2130001) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental IO-550-N](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-io-550-n) (registry code 17215, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 2881 - Year built: 2007 - Engines: Continental IO550 reciprocating - Damage: No damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Departed: JVY, Sellersburg, IN - Destination: PWK, Chicago/Prospect Heights/Wheeling, IL - Flight plan: IFR - Equipment: Stall warning system, ADS-B, Auto-pilot, Airframe parachute ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 55; injuries: minor; airline transport, flight engineer; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, with waivers/limitations; last flight review April 14, 2020; seat: left; restraint: none; flight hours: 16,700 total, 30 in this make and model, 13,700 as pilot in command, 150 in the last 90 days, 45 in the last 30 days, 2 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20200811013319A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20200811013319A), Aug 11, 2020: Cirrus Design Corp SR22, Watseka, IL, No damage. Cirrus serial number 2881, N678EC, was occupied by an airline transport pilot and two passengers on a 14 CFR part 91 flight from jeffersonville-clark regional… ## Docket (2 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 30, 2021, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=101787. - Record of conversation - pilot (item 1, PDF, 1 page, 25 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=10073833&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Record%20of%20Phone%20Conversation-Pilot-Rel.pdf - Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 2, PDF, 11 pages): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=10097496&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=6120_Redacted-Rel.pdf 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.