Cirrus SR22 accident near Lafayette, Indiana, August 11, 2020
On August 11, 2020 at about 9:20 pm local time, a 2007 Cirrus SR22, registered N678EC, was involved in an accident during enroute near Lafayette, Indiana. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to monitor aircraft control, which resulted in a loss of control when a passenger inadvertently moved the control stick, and the pilot and other passenger's decision to unbuckle their restraints inflight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 11, 2020 · about 9:20 pm local time
- Place
- Lafayette, Indiana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cirrus SR22 Undesignat, built 2007 · all SR22s on the register
- Registration
- N678EC · registry record · serial 2881
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During a cross-country flight, the pilot and a passenger in the rear seat unbuckled their seat belts to try to retrieve items behind the pilot's seat. An adult passenger seated in the front right seat, who was unfamiliar with the side-stick controller in the airplane, grabbed the side-stick controller while adjusting their seat. The pressure on the control stick caused the airplane to violently climb and descend 3-4 times before the pilot was able to regain control. During the excursions the pilot and the back-seat passenger bounced off the ceiling, resulting in minor injuries to the pilot and serious injuries to the unrestrained passenger. The pilot declared an emergency and proceeded direct to Chicago Executive Airport where he landed uneventfully. The pilot stated there was nothing wrong with the airplane prior to the event occurring and the airplane was not damaged.
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
- Abrupt maneuver during enroute defining event
The NTSB's findings
- factor Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Understanding/comprehension › Passenger
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Incorrect use/operation
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 16,700 hours in all; 30 in this make and model; 150 in the last 90 days; 45 in the last 30 days; 13,700 as pilot in command; 175 on instruments
- Last flight review: April 14, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO550 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: JVY Sellersburg IN at 10:15 pm
- Destination: PWK Chicago/Prospect Heights/Wheeling IL
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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
2 documents, released by the NTSB on July 30, 2021. 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.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Record of Conversation - Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
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.