Cirrus Design CORP SR22 accident near West Liberty, Ohio, September 8, 2011
On September 8, 2011 at about 3:22 pm local time, a 2004 Cirrus Design CORP SR22, registered N159JW, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (aerobatics) near West Liberty, Ohio (Bellefontaine Regional Airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s improper decision to fly aerobatic maneuvers at low altitude, which resulted in a loss of control and impact with terrain. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s impairment due to his recent use of multiple impairing drugs.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 8, 2011 · about 3:22 pm local time
- Place
- West Liberty, Ohio · Bellefontaine Regional Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cirrus Design CORP SR22, built 2004
- Registration
- N159JW · registry record · serial 1159
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Several witnesses reported hearing a low-flying airplane. One witness stated that he heard the engine go silent three times and then rev back up twice and that he saw the airplane in about a 75-degree nose-low attitude. Another witness stated that he observed the airplane complete a 360-degree loop and then go into a "direct vertical climb, reach its pinnacle, and begin to fall tail first with a partial spin." He lost sight of the airplane behind trees. He then heard a "thud" and observed a black mushroom cloud appear above the tree line. Radar track data showed an airplane with a ground speed of 40 knots near the accident site at the time of the accident; the track was consistent with the performance of the aerobatic maneuver described by the witnesses. At the time of the accident, the sky was overcast with low clouds. The examination of the wreckage indicated that the airplane impacted the ground in about a 45-degree nose-low attitude. The examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Toxicological reports indicate that, at the time of the accident, the pilot had recently used at least five impairing drugs: diazepam, codeine, oxycodone, hydrocodone, and marijuana. All of these drugs work synergistically to create psychomotor slowing and interfere with judgment and executive functioning. It is very likely that the pilot was impaired by drug use at the time of the accident.
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.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Loss of control in flight during maneuvering (aerobatics) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Ceiling/visibility/precip › Low ceiling › Effect on operation
- factor Personnel issues › Physical › Impairment/incapacitation › Prescription medication › Pilot
- factor Personnel issues › Physical › Impairment/incapacitation › Illicit drug › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 591 hours in all; 399 in this make and model
- Last flight review: September 2, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 682 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 2, 2011
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor IO-550-N (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: EDJ Bellefontaine OH at 3:16 pm
- Destination: I19 Jackson County OH
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 3 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 600 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.90 inHg
- Observation at 3:20 pm from EDJ, 6 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN11FA629.