Cirrus SR22 N462SR

Summary

On 16 September 2017 at about 02:10 local time, a Cirrus SR22 registered N462SR was involved in an accident near Glenwood Springs, Colorado, United States. 4 people were on board and 4 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

16 September 2017 at 02:10

Classification

Accident

Location

Glenwood Springs, Colorado, United States

Coordinates

39.4100, -107.2100

Aircraft

Cirrus SR22

Registration

N462SR

Category

Airplane

Year built

2007

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Fort Collins → Moab

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

CEN17FA354

4 people died.

The non-instrument-rated pilot's inadequate preflight weather planning, his decision to depart into forecast instrument meteorological conditions along the route of flight, and his 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 non-instrument-rated private pilot and three passengers departed on a night cross-county flight over mountainous terrain. Radar track data showed that the airplane traveled mainly on a southwesterly heading directly towards its destination with a series of altitude changes. About 5 minutes before the accident, the airplane turned to the northwest, a deviation off the destination course, and continued northwest for about 12 miles. After the turn, a passenger sent a text message to a family member stating that they were "taking the long way around, lots of weather, keep you posted." Shortly thereafter, the airplane entered a gradual left turn to the southwest, descending from 11,500 ft to 11,300 ft, then climbing back to 11,400 ft. The last recorded radar return was about 1/4 mile south of the accident site, which was located at an elevation of 10,800 ft. Postaccident examination of the airframe and engine showed severe fragmentation of the airplane consistent with a high-energy impact and did not reveal any preimpact anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The flight was likely operating in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) at the time of the accident, including light to moderate icing conditions. The airplane likely encountered intermittent IMC beginning about 30 minutes after takeoff, and continued into an area of solid IMC about 3 minutes before the accident occurred. There was no record of the pilot retrieving preflight weather information from an official, access-controlled source, and what weather information, if any, he obtained before or during the flight could not be determined. Based on the weather forecasts and information valid before the airplane departed and while en route, and the equipment available onboard the airplane, there was sufficient weather information available to the pilot before and during the flight to make informed decisions regarding the weather he would likely encounter. The night instrument conditions present at the time of the accident were conducive to the development of spatial disorientation and the circumstances of the accident. The non-instrument-rated pilot's continued flight into IMC, the airplane's descending turn depicted on radar, and the fragmentation of the wreckage due to high-energy impact are all consistent with the known effects of a loss of control due to spatial disorientation. It is likely that, while maneuvering, the pilot experienced spatial disorientation, which resulted in a loss of control and subsequent descent into terrain.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.