Cirrus Design CORP SR22T accident near Carrollton, Texas, October 24, 2011
On October 24, 2011 at about 4:35 pm local time, a Cirrus Design CORP SR22T, registered N227TX, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Carrollton, Texas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to adequately preflight the airplane prior to departure, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 24, 2011 · about 4:35 pm local time · cases in 2011
- Place
- Carrollton, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cirrus Design CORP SR22T
- Registration
- N227TX · registry record · serial 0029
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Prior to the flight, the pilot did not visually verify the fuel level in the tanks during his preflight and departed with low fuel alerts on his flight displays. About 10 minutes into the flight, the pilot reported to an air traffic controller that the engine was running rough and that he needed to return to his departure airport. During a second instrument approach, the engine lost power, and the pilot attempted a forced landing to a field. The airplane impacted terrain, the right wing separated, and the airplane came to rest on its right side. No evidence of fuel or fuel spillage was observed at the accident site. According to the pilot, the management company did not fuel the airplane as he had requested. An examination and operational test of the engine was performed. No defects in engine operation were detected, and the engine produced full rated power during the test.
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 engine power (total) during maneuvering defining event
- Fuel exhaustion during maneuvering
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level other cases naming the fuel system
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Preflight inspection › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 550 hours in all; 209 in this make and model; 453 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 487.8 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 14, 2011
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor TSIO-550-K (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ADS Addison TX at 3:58 pm
- Destination: DWH Houston TX
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 3 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,400 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.22 inHg
- Observation at 4:47 pm from ADS, 3 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
29 documents, released by the NTSB on November 26, 2012. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N227TX on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Engine: Cont Motor TSIO-550-K 2,819 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Addison Airport · departed from
- David Wayne Hooks Memorial · bound for
- Accidents and incidents in Texas 6,244 since 1982 · 1,063 in the last ten years
- Texas 29,976 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN12FA037.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.