Pilot Debrief

CIRRUS DESIGN CORP SR22 near Canton, TX — 2023-12-27

Final reportCEN24FA073
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Date
2023-12-27
Location
Canton, TX, USA
Airport
1TA7
Aircraft
CIRRUS DESIGN CORP SR22
Registration
N858RC
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Fatal
Fatalities
1
Phase of flight
Approach

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to attain the runway while landing at night, which resulted in an impact with trees.

NTSB narrative

The pilot was attempting a night visual approach to a private airport that had solar deck lights as runway lights. A witness heard the pilot make radio transmissions for the downwind, base, and final approach legs of the traffic pattern before the airplane impacted trees and terrain east of the runway. The airplane was destroyed by impact forces. Non-volatile data from the airplane showed the approach was approximately parallel to and about 340 ft east of the runway before the tree line, which the airplane struck. The data showed the airplane had minimal altimetry error. The data also showed that the engine operated with no anomalies throughout the approach and impact with terrain. Postaccident examination of the airplane confirmed flight control continuity, as well as rotational and torsional features on the propeller blades and spinner consistent with engine operation. An autopsy was not performed on the pilot, so an incapacitating medical event could not be ruled out. It is likely that pilot performed an inadequate visual approach at night that resulted in a collision with terrain. Based on the available evidence, it was undetermined why the pilot performed an inadequate visual approach.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Controlled flight into terrain
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have aborted the approach when realizing he was misaligned with the runway.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Video
  • Photos
  • 13 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents13

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