Cirrus Design CORP SR22 accident near Kewanee, Illinois, August 30, 2015
On August 30, 2015 at about 3:18 pm local time, a 2001 Cirrus Design CORP SR22, registered N765CD, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Kewanee, Illinois. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's loss of control due to spatial disorientation shortly after takeoff into low instrument meteorological conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 30, 2015 · about 3:18 pm local time
- Place
- Kewanee, Illinois · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cirrus Design CORP SR22 NO SERIES, built 2001
- Registration
- N765CD · registry record · serial 0065
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The instrument-rated private pilot and two passengers departed on an instrument flight rules flight plan in low instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), including fog and cloud ceilings at 200 ft above ground level. Before takeoff, the pilot announced on the airport's common traffic advisory frequency that the airplane was departing runway 19; however, the airplane departed runway 27. Radar data indicated that the airplane made 3 nearly 360° left turns in close succession just before ground impact. The airplane's altitude during the turns varied between 1,200 ft and 1,800 ft msl. Examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation, and data retrieved from onboard engine monitoring equipment indicated that the engine was operating normally throughout the flight. Conditions conducive to the development of spatial disorientation existed at the time of the accident, including restricted visibility, entry into IMC, and maneuvering for an assigned course after takeoff. It could not be determined whether the pilot recognized his error in departing from the incorrect runway, but it is possible that this error presented the pilot with an operational distraction about the time the airplane was entering IMC, and could have precipitated the pilot's spatial disorientation. Additionally, the pilot had reported to the airplane's co-owner the day before the accident that the airplane's autopilot was inoperative and that he did not plan to use it. Thus, the pilot did not have the autopilot available to help manage his workload during the flight. The radar depiction of the accident flight path was consistent with the known effects of spatial disorientation, and it is likely that the pilot became disoriented shortly after entering IMC after takeoff.
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 initial climb defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Perception/orientation/illusion › Spatial disorientation › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Ceiling/visibility/precip › Below VFR minima › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 920 hours in all; 40 in this make and model; 4 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,635.1 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 5, 2015
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor IO-550 SERIES (piston); 1,635 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: EZI Kewanee IL at 2:17 pm
- Destination: HOT Hot Spings AR
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 1 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 200 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.09 inHg
- Observation at 2:15 pm from GBG, 28 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
17 documents, released by the NTSB on September 12, 2017. 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.
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 never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.