Cirrus Design CORP SR22 accident near Tybee Island, Georgia, May 6, 2022
On May 6, 2022 at about 8:44 am local time, a 2006 Cirrus Design CORP SR22, registered N24LA, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Tybee Island, Georgia. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of airplane control due to pilot incapacitation, which resulted in an overflight of his destination and subsequent descent into water.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 6, 2022 · about 8:44 am local time
- Place
- Tybee Island, Georgia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cirrus Design CORP SR22, built 2006
- Registration
- N24LA · no longer on the register · serial 2013
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was issued instrument approach instructions from air traffic control (ATC) and instructed to report over a waypoint. The pilot did not report over the waypoint and did not respond to any subsequent ATC communications. At the request of ATC, pilots of another airplane tried to get the accident pilot’s attention but were unsuccessful. They continued alongside and watched as the airplane descended into the ocean. The pilot had a history of heart palpitations and had a loop recorder heart monitor implanted in his left upper chest. The download of the device revealed a period of tachycardia during the time the pilot was not responding to ATC. It is likely that this cardiac event caused the pilot to be incapacitated. Examination revealed there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Medical event during enroute defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Physical › Impairment/incapacitation › Other loss of consciousness › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,240 hours in all; 279 in this make and model; 2,069 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 1, 2022
- Medical certificate: BasicMed (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,062.1 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 1, 2021
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-550-N (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SC99 Lexington SC at 11:38 am
- Destination: BNL Barnwell SC
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.87 inHg
- Observation at 8:35 am from BNL, 99 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KBNL 061235Z AUTO 21005KT 10SM CLR 23/19 A2987 RMK AO2
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
10 documents, released by the NTSB on October 5, 2023. 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 | Medical Factual | PDF, 5 pages · our copy | View Download |
| 2 | Witness Statements | PDF, 1 page · our copy | View Download |
| 3 | Wreckage Examination | PDF, 4 pages · our copy | View Download |
| 4 | Pilot Logbook | PDF, 1 page · our copy | View Download |
| 5 | Air Traffic Control Transcripts | PDF, 1 page · our copy | View Download |
| 6 | ADS-B Data | map file · our copy | Download |
| 7 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 14 pages · our copy | View Download |
| 8 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 1 page · our copy | View Download |
| 9 | Toxicological Report | PDF, 2 pages · our copy | View Download |
| 10 | Photos | PDF, 5 pages · our copy | View Download |
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.