Cirrus SR-20 N901CD

Summary

On 28 May 2002 at about 22:30 local time, a Cirrus SR-20 registered N901CD was involved in an accident near Angel Fire, New Mexico, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

28 May 2002 at 22:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Angel Fire, New Mexico, United States

Coordinates

36.4281, -105.2111

Aircraft

Cirrus SR-20

Registration

N901CD

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Angel Fire → Sioux Falls

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW02FA162

1 person died.

The pilot's decision to continue the flight into the rising mountainous terrain, and subsequent failure to maintain clearance with the trees. Contributing factors were the rising mountainous terrain, and the high density altitude,

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

Prior to departure, the 1,350-hour pilot obtained a weather report from an employee of a local fixed base operator. The reported weather conditions at the time of departure were winds from 110 degrees at 10 knots, temperature of approximately 60 degrees Fahrenheit, and altimeter 30.28 inches of Mercury. The employee informed the pilot that the temperature reading was "from an instrument under a carport and therefore was in the shade." The employee observed the airplane takeoff without incident. Another witness observed the airplane fly overhead "really low at a relatively slow airspeed." The airplane impacted mountainous wooded terrain. All major structural components and flight control surfaces for the airplane were identified. Flight control continuity was established. The engine exhibited severe impact and fire damage. No anomalies were found that "would suggest any engine problem prior to the accident." The NTSB Investigator-In-Charge calculated the density altitude (DA) to be 10,136 feet MSL at the time of departure. The manufacturer, Cirrus Design, calculated the following performance figures: Takeoff Climb Gradient: 262 feet per nautical mile, Takeoff Rate of Climb: 406 feet per minute, Best Angle of Climb Airspeed (Vx): 80 kias = 93 ktas = 1.55 nautical miles per minute, Best Rate of Climb (Vy): 88 kias. With this data, the manufacturer calculated that if the airplane maintained a constant airspeed of 80 kias (Vx) after departure, it would have taken 4 minutes, 11 seconds to climb 1,700 feet. Further calculations revealed that at Vx, the airplane's approximate flight path would be 6.49 nautical miles.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.