Cirrus SR22 accident near Luna, New Mexico, April 9, 2007
On April 9, 2007 at about 5:59 pm local time, a Cirrus SR22, registered N953CD, was substantially damaged in an accident near Luna, New Mexico. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's failure to activate the pitot heat while flying in the clouds and visible moisture, resulting in pitot tube contamination and the subsequent loss of air data for the primary flight display. Contributing to the accident was the icing conditions, and the pilot's subsequent spatial disorientation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 9, 2007 · about 5:59 pm local time
- Place
- Luna, New Mexico · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cirrus SR22 · all SR22s on the register
- Registration
- N953CD · no longer on the register · serial 1766
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, he was climbing from 15,000 feet to 16,000 feet to avoid building thunderstorms and snow showers. The pilot reported that he was in instrument meteorological conditions when the airspeed indication started to decrease and then the airspeed and altimeter readouts, within the primary flight display, went to "hash marks." The pilot stated that he manually overrode the autopilot to initiate a descent, and turned the pitot heat on. The pilot report that shortly thereafter the airspeed indication returned. The pilot sensed that he was in a descent and "pulled back" to slow the airplane down and the attitude indicator went "haywire." The terrain warning system activated and the pilot elected to activate the ballistic recovery parachute on the airplane. The airplane impacted trees and came to rest inverted at the top of several trees, resulting in substantial damage. In later telephone conversations with the pilot, he was asked about the position of the pitot heat, during the course of the flight. The pilot stated that he was not continuously in the clouds and the pitot heat remained off. He stated further that initially, he might have inadvertently turned the icing protection system on instead of the pitot heat. The switches are right next to each other. An examination of the primary flight display, and multi-function display revealed a loss of air data, due to pitot tube icing. An examination of the remaining airplane systems revealed no anomalies.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 340 hours in all; 193 in this make and model; 38 in the last 90 days; 29 in the last 30 days; 259 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 1, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 591.2 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 1, 2007; 57.6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-550-N (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AVQ Tuscon AZ at 3:52 pm
- Destination: APA Englewood CO
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 15 knots, gusting 23
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 8,500 ft; a few clouds at 3,800 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.92 inHg
- Observation at 4:54 pm from KSJN, 43 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
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.