Cirrus Design CORP SR22 accident near La Cienega, New Mexico, April 17, 2026
On April 17, 2026 at about 3:54 pm local time, a 2009 Cirrus Design CORP SR22, registered N654MC, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near La Cienega, New Mexico. It was an instructional 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 NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 17, 2026 · about 3:54 pm local time
- Place
- La Cienega, New Mexico · 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, built 2009
- Registration
- N654MC · registry record · serial 3375
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On April 17, 2026, at about 0954 mountain standard time, a Cirrus Design Corp SR22, N654MC, sustained substantial damage when it was involved in an accident near La Cienega, New Mexico. The pilot receiving instruction and the flight instructor were not injured. The airplane was operating as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight. The pilot receiving instruction reported that during the preflight inspection, no issues were found, and the airplane was filled with approximately 90 gallons of fuel. During the takeoff and initial climb, the flight instructor noticed that the engine was not producing maximum power. He confirmed that the throttle was set to full forward and the mixture was adjusted to full rich. At approximately 500 ft above ground level (agl), while the pilot receiving instruction initiated a left turn to follow the instrument departure procedure, when the engine lost total power. The flight instructor took control of the airplane, leveled the wings, and deployed the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS). Subsequently, the airplane descended under the parachute canopy and landed in a residential area near several homes. Examination of the airplane revealed that the fuselage, wings, and empennage sustained substantial damage. The wreckage was recovered to a secure location for further examination.
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
- Loss of engine power (total) during initial climb defining event
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,750 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 1, 2025; 69 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
The flight
- Departed from: SAF Santa Fe NM at 3:52 pm
- Destination: SKX Taos NM
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 21 knots, gusting 30
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 10°F (-12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 10:00 am from KSAF, 2 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KSAF 171553Z 24021G30KT 10SM CLR 15/M12 A2995 RMK AO2 PK WND 25030/1553 SLP073 T01501117
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check at the NTSB.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number WPR26LA162.