Cirrus SR-22 accident near Parish, New York, April 24, 2002
On April 24, 2002 at about 11:06 pm local time, a Cirrus SR-22, registered N837CD, was destroyed in an accident near Parish, New York. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilots' failure to maintain airspeed, which resulted in an inadvertent stall/spin. The continued spin to the ground was a result of the pilots' failure to deploy the onboard parachute recovery system, for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 24, 2002 · about 11:06 pm local time
- Place
- Parish, New York · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cirrus SR-22 · all SR-22s on the register
- Registration
- N837CD · no longer on the register · serial 0192
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was maneuvering about 5,000 feet above the ground when it entered a right, flat spin. It continued the spin to the ground, without deployment of the onboard parachute recovery system. Examination of the wreckage, and a subsequent examination of the engine revealed no mechanical anomalies. The two accident pilots purchased the airplane 6 days before the accident, and had separately received airplane-specific training. The accident flight was their first flight together. The pilot in command, and the pilot at the controls leading up to, and during the accident sequence could not be determined. The pilot's operating handbook stated that the only approved and demonstrated method for spin recovery was the deployment of the parachute recovery system.
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: 337 hours in all; 31 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 295 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 26, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 475 hours in all
- Last flight review: February 11, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 19 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, April 19, 2002
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Teledyne Continental IO-550-N (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: SYR Syracuse NY at 10:21 pm
- Destination: ROC Rochester NY
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.10 inHg
- Observation at 10:54 pm from FZY, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.