Cirrus SR-20 N244CD
16 March 2002 · Lexington, Kentucky, United States · Minor injuries
Summary
On 16 March 2002 at about 17:40 local time, a Cirrus SR-20 registered N244CD, operated by Paul A. Heflin, was involved in an accident near Lexington, Kentucky, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 17:40
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Lexington, Kentucky, United States
- Nearest airport
- Blue Grass (LEX)
- Coordinates
- 38.0667, -84.5667
- Aircraft
- Cirrus SR-20
- Registration
- N244CD
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Paul A. Heflin
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Lexington → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- IMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- NYC02LA071
People
2 people had minor injuries.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control. Factors in this accident were the undetermined failure of the turn coordinator, as reported by the pilot, and the instrument meteorological conditions.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The instrument rated pilot and passenger departed into instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) and intended to practice some instrument approaches. Shortly after takeoff, the pilot reported a turn coordinator failure. The turn coordinator indicated a left bank regardless of control inputs and the pilot became disoriented. The airplane was equipped with a Cirrus Airplane Parachute System (CAPS). The pilot stated he pulled the CAPS activation handle repeatedly; however, the cable did not extend and "nothing seemed to happen." The airplane broke out of the cloud layer, and the pilot performed an emergency landing to a field. Witnesses near the accident site reported that the CAPS parachute deployed after ground contact. Post accident testing of the wreckage did not reveal any pre-impact instrumentation, or autopilot failures. The CAPS system also functioned normally; however, it was noted that the pull forces to activate the CAPS parachute varied significantly.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Cirrus SR-20 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 May 2002 | Cirrus SR-20 | Angel Fire, New Mexico, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 15 Oct 2002 | Cirrus SR-20 | Point Pleasant, West Virginia, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 12 Jul 2003 | Cirrus SR-20 | Fish Haven, Idaho, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 24 Jan 2003 | Cirrus SR 20 | San Jose, California, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 19 Sep 2001 | Cirrus SR-20 | St. Bonifacius, Minnesota, United States | Kenneth Klein | Serious injuries | - |
| 15 Aug 2003 | Cirrus SR-20 | Teuge, Netherlands | - | Minor injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 Nov 2002 | Cessna 172K | Prestonsburg, Kentucky, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 22 Jan 2002 | Stiles CHOCTAW | Danville, Kentucky, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 17 Jul 2002 | Boeing Stearman A75N1 | Bardstown, Kentucky, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 8 Nov 2002 | Bell 206L1 | Albany, Kentucky, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 8 May 2002 | Bombardier CL600-2B19 | Covington, Kentucky, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 26 Jun 2002 | Hughes 369D | Jeffersontown, Kentucky, United States | - | No injuries | - |