- Date
- March 1, 2022, 17:30 local (22:30 UTC)
- Place
- The Hammocks, FL
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N21EUCirrus SR22
- Defining event
- Maneuvering: Low altitude operation/event
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA-FSDO
- FAA report
- 20220301003119A
- Case key
- 104757
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain an appropriate altitude above obstacles, which resulted controlled flight into a powerline.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot stated he was flying about 700 ft above ground level (AGL), then noticed that the airplane had descended “well below 500 ft.” He could see a pump station ahead with powerlines crossing the waterway and stated, “I’m too low.” He was traveling about 170 kts when he pulled back to climb and heard a “thud.” The airplane continued flying, but the pilot had limited rudder control. He returned to the departure airport and landed uneventfully; however, he noticed that the rudder was missing from the airplane. He stated that he looked up the pump station address and drove over to find the rudder laying in the grass near the powerlines. The rudder had impacted the powerline and separated from the airplane, resulting in substantial damage. The pilot reported that the airplane had no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N21EU
- Reported as
- Cirrus SR22 (T)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2242
- Built
- 2021
- Airframe hours
- 395
- Engine
- Continental IO-550-K, 310 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Unknown · February 1, 2022 · 25 hours before
- Departed
- OPF · Miami, FL
- Equipment
- Data recorder, Electronic primary flight display, Onboard weather, ADS-B, Airframe parachute, Auto-pilot
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 45
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- January 17, 2021
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 541 total · 434 in this make and model · 398 as pilot in command · 81 in the last 90 days · 23 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 60° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- OPF, 22 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KOPF 012253Z 06010KT 10SM CLR 23/17 A3000 RMK AO2 SLP158 T02330172=
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 17, 2022, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.0 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.