Cirrus SR20 N619AV

Summary

On 10 March 2026 at about 21:17 local time, a Cirrus SR20 registered N619AV, operated by Westwind School of Aeronautics Phoenix LLC DBA, was involved in an accident near Redington, Arizona, 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

10 March 2026 at 21:17

Classification

Accident

Location

Redington, Arizona, United States

Coordinates

32.5455, -110.3989

Aircraft

Cirrus SR20

Registration

N619AV

Category

Airplane

Year built

2025

Engines

1

Operator

Westwind School of Aeronautics Phoenix LLC DBA

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Positioning

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

El Paso → Goodyear

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

Unk

Light

Not Reported

NTSB number

WPR26LA126

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot’s improper decision to continue the flight into icing conditions, which resulted in the accumulation of airframe icing and a subsequent 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 en route on a cross-country flight operating under instrument flight rules (IFR) at 11,000 ft mean sea level (msl), she was cleared by air traffic control (ATC) to deviate from her planned route as necessary to remain clear of developing clouds. She continued to monitor weather conditions via the multifunction display (MFD) and was aware of light to moderate precipitation developing along the route; however, she elected to continue the flight. Shortly thereafter, the controller cleared the pilot to climb to 12,000 ft msl to maintain cloud clearance. During the climb, the airplane encountered instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), which included moderate precipitation, and the pilot began to observe indications of airframe icing. Concerned about potential degradation in aircraft performance, she requested a descent to a lower altitude while continuing along the planned route of flight. During the descent, an airspeed annunciation activated, prompting the pilot to disengage the autopilot and manually control the airplane. As the descent continued, rime ice rapidly accumulated on the airframe. Subsequently, both the stall warning horn and stick shaker activated. At approximately 9,500 ft msl, the controller issued a low-altitude alert and instructed the pilot to climb immediately. The pilot responded by pitching up to initiate a climb; however, the airplane experienced an aerodynamic stall. After having descended about 2,000 ft, the pilot activated the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS). The airplane descended under parachute and impacted terrain, resulting in substantial damage to the right elevator and rudder. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane. According to the airplane’s flight manual, “Flight into known icing conditions is prohibited.”

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.