Cirrus Design Corp. SR22 accident near Statesville, North Carolina, October 27, 2006

The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record

The pilot filed an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan and obtained an abbreviated weather briefing for a flight from North Palm Beach, Florida, to a visual flight rules (VFR) airport at Mooresville, North Carolina, with a 1200 arrival. The forecast for the destination airport was: overcast ceiling at 1,000 feet, visibility 5 miles, with light rain and mist. The closest terminal aerodrome forecast to the pilot's destination airport was Charlotte/Douglas International Airport, approximately 30 miles south of the accident site. The forecast at 1026 was: overcast ceiling at 400 feet, visibility 2 miles, in moderate rain and mist. The forecast at 1131 was: overcast ceiling at 400 feet, visibility 1 1/2 miles, in light rain and mist. Between 1200 to 1600 the ceiling was forecast for 700 feet and 2 miles visibility. The pilot did not obtain any weather updates while en-route. Upon arrival in the Charlotte area, the controller cleared the pilot to start his descent. The pilot asked the controller for the weather at his destination airport. The controller informed the pilot the weather was IFR. The pilot requested and received clearance to divert to Statesville Regional Airport. The pilot was vectored and subsequently cleared for the ILS Runway 28 approach at Statesville. The pilot stated he flew the approach with the autopilot on, and completed the before landing check, lowered the flaps to 50 percent and ultimately 100 percent. He stated he did not remember descending below the clouds, or any events associated with the accident. Witnesses observed the airplane come out of the clouds over the runway. An increase in engine power was heard, the airplane was observed to start a right turn and entered the clouds. The pilot initiated a circling approach without ATC clearance and without the required weather minima for a circling approach. Witnesses heard the airplane north of the airport in the clouds, and observed the airplane a short time later below the clouds on the south side of runway 28, traveling from southeast to northwest. The airplane crossed the runway, entered the clouds, came out of the clouds, and was observed making a steep turn to the right and back to the left. The nose of the airplane then pitched down, and the airplane collided with trees and the ground. The checklist for a balked landing requires the pilot to set the flaps at 50 percent, airspeed between 75 to 85 KIAS until clear of obstacles, and then raise the flaps to 0 percent. The flaps at the crash site were extended 100 percent.

The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.