Cirrus SR22 N86AA

Summary

On 14 July 2012 at about 17:30 local time, a Cirrus SR22 registered N86AA was involved in an accident near Salina, Utah, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

14 July 2012 at 17:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Salina, Utah, United States

Coordinates

38.8197, -111.4322

Aircraft

Cirrus SR22

Registration

N86AA

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Concord → Aspen

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR12FA305

2 people died.

The noninstrument-rated pilot’s continued visual flight into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in spatial disorientation and a subsequent loss of airplane control.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The noninstrument-rated pilot departed on a visual flight rules (VFR) cross-county flight. Recorded radar data indicated that the airplane was in level flight at 13,300 feet mean sea level (msl) during about the last 30 minutes of the flight. The last 2 minutes of the radar data showed the airplane making a slow climbing turn to an altitude of 14,200 feet msl. The last radar returns showed the airplane making a sharper left turn at 13,500 feet msl before radar contact was lost. The accident site was located 1.5 nautical miles southeast of the last radar return at an elevation of 7,928 feet msl. Examination of the accident site revealed that the airplane collided with trees and mountainous terrain in a steep nose-down attitude. A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. It could not be determined if the pilot obtained a weather briefing for the flight. The most recent pilot report before the accident indicated cloud bases at 9,000 feet in the accident area. Weather returns depicted light-intensity echoes over the route of flight consistent with reduced visibility in light rain and extensive vertically developed clouds. Therefore, although weather conditions at the departure and destination airports were VFR, available weather information indicates that the accident airplane likely encountered instrument meteorological and mountain obscuration conditions en route. Given the weather conditions in the area and the altitude and course changes made in the few minutes before the accident, it is likely that the pilot became spatially disorientated and subsequently lost airplane control.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.