Cirrus Design CORP SR22 accident near Cedar Key, Florida, May 28, 2018
On May 28, 2018 at about 8:15 pm local time, a 2006 Cirrus Design CORP SR22, registered N269DW, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Cedar Key, Florida (George T Lewis airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The airplane’s collision with multiple birds during initial climb, which damaged the propeller and resulted in a subsequent aerodynamic stall because the airspeed could not be maintained.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 28, 2018 · about 8:15 pm local time
- Place
- Cedar Key, Florida · George T Lewis · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cirrus Design CORP SR22 UNDESIGNAT, built 2006
- Registration
- N269DW · no longer on the register · serial 1793
- 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, during initial climb, about 90 ft above ground level, the airplane flew through a flock of canary-size birds. He reported that, after the bird strikes, the airplane continued to climb, but the "prop then became unbalanced causing a violent vibration," followed by a steep left bank and then a right bank. He recalled that the airspeed decreased, and the stall warning horn sounded, and about 5 seconds later, the airplane impacted a body of water adjacent to the airport in a 60° left bank. Photographs provided by Federal Aviation Administration aviation safety inspector showed that the airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane 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
- Birdstrike during initial climb defining event
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during initial climb
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Animal(s)/bird(s) › Effect on operation
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Attain/maintain not possible
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 950 hours in all; 760 in this make and model; 12 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 950 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 12, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,350 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 29, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-550 (piston); 1,300 hours total
- Operator: Fly Up LLC.
The flight
- Departed from: CDK Cedar Key FL at 8:13 pm
- Destination: HWO Hollywood FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 05, 2,355 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 17 knots, gusting 23
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,600 ft; scat at 2,100 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 77°F (25°C)
- Altimeter: 29.77 inHg
- Observation at 8:15 pm from CDK, 30 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on October 31, 2018. 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 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photos | PDF, 2 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.