Cirrus SR22 N633CD

Summary

On 14 November 2021 at about 17:52 local time, a Cirrus SR22 registered N633CD, operated by Polaris Fire Protection Inc, was involved in an accident near Burnsville, North Carolina, United States. One person was 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

14 November 2021 at 17:52

Classification

Accident

Location

Burnsville, North Carolina, United States

Nearest airport

Mountain Air (2NC0)

Coordinates

35.8687, -82.3418

Aircraft

Cirrus SR22

Registration

N633CD

Category

Airplane

Year built

2002

Engines

1

Operator

Polaris Fire Protection Inc

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Fernandina Beach → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA22LA059

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot’s failure to compensate for the high density altitude and the tailwind component while landing at a mountaintop airport, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and a loss of aircraft control.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was performing a visual approach to a mountaintop airport with an estimated density altitude of 9,860 ft, and a tailwind component. He stated he “carried some extra speed” during the approach to compensate for wind and turbulence that he described as “burpy.” As he started to flare, he got pushed hard to his left. He lowered the nose and increased engine power to abort the landing, but the airplane struck trees and a small building before coming to rest inside the wood line on the left side of the runway, which resulted in substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage. Airport surveillance video depicted the airplane on approach, and as its attitude flattened in the landing flare, its nose and left wing deflected downward, and the airplane departed the left side of the runway where it struck trees and a building. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical deficiencies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.