Cirrus SR20 N427GE

Summary

On 11 March 2013 at about 22:01 local time, a Cirrus SR20 registered N427GE, operated by Justice Aviation, was involved in an accident near Kernville, California, United States. 3 people were on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

11 March 2013 at 22:01

Classification

Accident

Location

Kernville, California, United States

Nearest airport

Kern Valley Airport (KL05)

Coordinates

35.7281, -118.4197

Aircraft

Cirrus SR20

Registration

N427GE

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Justice Aviation

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Bakersfield → Kernville

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR13LA145

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot’s application of excessive pitch and his failure to achieve adequate airspeed during the go-around attempt, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that, while in the landing flare with the flaps configured full down, the airplane drifted right, and he then decided to execute a go-around. After he added power for the go-around, the left main wheel contacted the runway, and the airplane then veered left, continued off the left side of the runway, and impacted a ditch. Flight data from the primary flight display showed that the airplane had a high engine rpm and a 9-degree left bank with a 17-degree nose-up pitch attitude and was at an airspeed of 56 knots during the attempted go-around. The Pilot's Operating Handbook states that, during a go-around, the best angle-of-climb airspeed (between 81 and 83 knots indicated airspeed [KIAS]) should be set and maintained and that the flaps should then be retracted. It also states that, if the airplane is configured with full flaps in a 15-degree bank angle, it will stall between 55 and 57 KIAS. It is likely that the excessive pitch angle and low airspeed during the go-around attempt resulted in an aerodynamic stall.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.