Cirrus Design CORP SR22T accident near Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, March 31, 2026
On March 31, 2026 at about 11:30 pm local time, a 2021 Cirrus Design CORP SR22T, registered N778WT, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Mount Pleasant, South Carolina (Raven'S Run airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The airplane’s encounter with uneven terrain during takeoff, which resulted in a runway excursion and impact with water.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 31, 2026 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Mount Pleasant, South Carolina · Raven'S Run · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cirrus Design CORP SR22T, built 2021
- Registration
- N778WT · registry record · serial 2290
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor and the student pilot were on a multi-leg cross-country flight, and conducted an overflight of the private-use airport’s 2,400-ft-long by 100-ft-wide turf runway to assess its condition. They observed no obstacles or wildlife and landed uneventfully. After performing a preflight inspection of the airplane, the flight instructor planned to perform a soft-field takeoff. The flight instructor reported that during the takeoff roll, it felt as if the left main landing gear struck something, after which the airplane suddenly began a hard turn to the left. The flight instructor applied full right rudder and reduced engine power in an attempt to regain control; however, the airplane exited the runway and struck water adjacent to the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the elevator during the accident sequence. The flight instructor and the student pilot reported there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. An FAA inspector who examined the runway after the accident observed noticeable areas of uneven ground, as well as various low and high spots that were the result of ant hills, mole tunnels, and ground settling. Given this information, it is likely that one of the airplane’s main landing gear briefly contacted one of these areas of uneven ground during the takeoff roll, which resulted in the airplane’s left turn and the subsequent runway excursion.
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
- Runway excursion during takeoff
- Loss of control on ground during takeoff defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › Soft surface › Ability to respond/compensate
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 899 hours in all; 34 in this make and model; 191.8 in the last 90 days; 63.9 in the last 30 days; 810.4 as pilot in command; 591.6 on instruments
- Last flight review: January 9, 2025
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Flight time: 20 hours in all; 20 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 402.4 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental TSIO-550-K (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SC65 Mount Pleasant SC at 11:30 pm
- Destination: OPF Opa-Locka FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 33, 2,400 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 150° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.24 inHg
- Observation at 7:35 pm from KLRO, 5 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KLRO 312335Z AUTO 15007KT 8SM CLR 20/18 A3024 RMK AO2=
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Photographs from the investigation 6 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
Photograph 1 – Wreckage overview
Photograph 2 – Wreckage overview
Photograph 3 – Wreckage overview
Photograph 4 – Empennage overview
Photograph 5 – Runway and fire ant nest
Photograph 6 – Fire ant nest on runwayThe NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
7 documents, released by the NTSB on August 18, 2026. 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 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (Instructor) | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (Student Pilot/owner) | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Memorandum for Record - FAA Inspector Runway Examination | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | AFM Excerpt - Castering Nose Wheel | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | AFM Excerpt - Flaps | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Rdm Data Download | data file | Download |
| 7 | Investigation Photographs | PDF, 7 pages · our copy | 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.