NTSB Identification: ERA16LA085
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Friday, January 08, 2016 in CONCORD, NC
Aircraft: CIRRUS SR22, registration: C-GXXJ
Injuries: 2 Uninjured.
This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.
On January 8, 2016, at 1538 eastern standard time, a Cirrus SR22, Canadian registration C-GXXJ, owned and operated by a private individual, was substantially damaged during impact with terrain, after deployment of the Cirrus Airplane Parachute System (CAPS), following a loss of control near Concord Regional Airport (JQF), Concord, North Carolina. The private pilot and passenger were not injured. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed for the personal flight that departed Erie International Airport (ERI), Erie, Pennsylvania, about 1100. The flight was destined for Charlotte/Douglas International Airport (CLT), Charlotte, North Carolina. The airplane was operated under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
The pilot stated that while the autopilot was engaged and the airplane established on the instrument landing system approach to runway 36R at CLT, he observed a "vertical flag drop" [on the primary flight display (PFD)], which indicated to him that the airplane was below the glideslope. The autopilot did not correct for the deviation. Subsequently, as the airplane entered visual meteorological conditions below a cloud layer, the pilot observed [the PFD] was indicating that the airplane was on course; however, the runway was to his right. Air Traffic Control (ATC) instructed the pilot to go-around and later provided vectors to JQF, located about 15 miles to the northeast.
The pilot hand-flew the airplane toward JQF and was cleared for the GPS approach to runway 02. He initially believed the clearance was for runway 20, and as a result he had difficulty finding the appropriate "fix." After he realized the error, he asked for and received vectors for the GPS approach to runway 02. During that approach, after he was established on the inbound course, the pilot engaged the autopilot again. As he did so, the airplane began to climb and bank sharply to the right. The pilot reported that he then received "terrain" and "envelope protection" warnings, as well as an advisory from ATC indicating he was "too low, and needed to climb." He pushed the "Straight and Level" button on the autopilot, but the airplane did not respond. He then deployed the CAPS and secured the engine. The airplane descended into a residential area, landed in a grass yard and impacted a chain link fence.
The 1540 recorded weather observation at JQF included wind 340 at 5 knots, visibility 3 miles in moderate mist with and overcast ceiling at 500 feet, temperature 45 degrees F, dew point 43 degrees F; barometric altimeter 30.80 inches of mercury
Examination of the airplane at the scene by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed substantial damage to the underside of the left wing, the left main landing gear and the nose landing gear. The flaps were in the retracted position. The parachute remained attached to the airplane through its harness.
The airplane was retained for further examination. The PFD, the autopilot computer, and the multi-function display were forwarded to the NTSB Vehicle Recorder Laboratory, Washington, DC, for data recovery.
Federal Aviation Administration Flight Standards District Office: FAA Charlotte FSDO-68
How a Controller Sounds When Trying to Save an Airplane: http://www.theatlantic.com/Cirrus SR22, C-GXXJ
KANNAPOLIS, N.C. – It was a close call Friday for a pilot and his wife traveling to Charlotte Douglas International Airport.
The man’s Cirrus SR22 plane was forced to make an emergency landing in a backyard in Kannapolis after running out of fuel.
“I was sitting in the house and heard a noise, a bang,” said homeowner Bud Welch. “I looked out the backdoor and there was a plane in my backyard.”
Welch was hoping for a quiet Friday night. Instead, a small engine plane crashed 20 feet from his home.
“I had my wife call 911 and then I went out to the plane,” said Welch. “The pilot and his wife were getting out.”
The small aircraft was traveling from Erie International Airport to Charlotte Douglas. They were scheduled for a fuel stop, but the pilot told investigators he didn’t receive clearance to land in Charlotte. That’s when he diverted to Concord Regional, but ran out of fuel in Kannapolis.
“Sounded like a muscle car kind of coming down the street,” said James Putortie, a witness to the crash.
“I heard it crush on a chain-link fence,” said another neighbor.
Neighbors say it’s not unusual for helicopters and planes to fly over the area, but this encounter literally hit a little too close to home.
“I mean, it’s amazing it didn’t hit the house,” said Putortie.
As bad as it sounds, the people inside the aircraft walked away unharmed.
“It was a man and a wife in the plane and I just said, ‘are y’all okay?” Naturally, they were a little shook up, so I said come in the house and come on and get your head straight,” Welch explained.
Story and video: http://www.wcnc.com
KANNAPOLIS — A single-engine Cirrus aircraft with a built-in parachute for safety made an emergency landing Friday afternoon in the backyard of a Western Acres home off Westchester Drive.
The Canadian couple flying the plane were not hurt. Western Acres is located in a corner of Rowan County close to the Cabarrus County line and not too distant from Iredell County.
The pilot successfully landed the Cirrus upright. Damage was mostly to the plane’s landing gear, left wing and prop. As it landed, the disabled plane clipped a chain-link fence in the yard of Bud and Lynn Welch.
The orange-and-white parachute ended up draped over a row of tall holly trees nearby.
“I just heard a loud noise and a thump,” Bud Welch said. He and Lynn were inside their home. Lynn informed Bud a plane was in their backyard, and while she dialed 911 for help, Bud went to check on the plane’s occupants.
The Welches invited the couple inside their home so they could calm their nerves a bit until emergency personnel arrived. Atwell Fire Department and the N.C. Highway Patrol were the chief responders.
Welch said the couple had flown out of Canada and stopped in Reading, Pa., where they had to go through customs. They intended to stop in Charlotte to refuel when the plane started experiencing its mechanical problems over Rowan County.
The couple’s ultimate destination was Florida, Welch said.
Neighbors said the Cirrus, which weighs just over a ton, started its downward path into the subdivision from the northern end. In making its emergency landing, the plane just missed a carport of the Welches’ neighbor.
The plane also missed a nearby wooded area behind the houses on Westchester Drive.
The airframe parachute system is standard equipment on every Cirrus aircraft. This particular model was an SR22.
“I heard a big popping sound,” said 13-year-old Madison Hill, who was next door. “It sounded like a crash. … Luckily they didn’t hit anything but a fence. … You could tell they were shook up.”
James Smith, who lives a street away, said his son heard the crash and also described a noise like a gunshot, which several people figured was the sound of the parachute firing out and deploying.
Looking around at all the people and emergency vehicles, Bud Welch said it was definitely the most excitement he had seen during his 18 years on Westchester Drive.
- See more at: http://www.salisburypost.com
A Cirrus SR22 plane crashed in a residential area near Concord Friday at 3:38 p.m., FAA officials said.
The aircraft departed Erie International Airport, Erie, Pennsylvania and was enroute to Charlotte Douglas International Airport.
The pilot and his wife originally departed from Toronto.
They went off course because of the weather and planned to stop in Charlotte to refuel but were forced to land in the residential area.
They deployed the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS) at the last second in the emergency landing.
No injuries were reported.
Officials said it crashed near Westchester Drive.
Source: http://www.wsoctv.com
No injuries were reported from the site of a plane crash in Rowan County Friday afternoon.
The plane reportedly went down in a residential neighborhood just before 3:45 p.m. on Westchester Drive near Kannapolis. Officials say a husband and wife were flying from Canada to Florida with stops in between.
They were planning to stop in Charlotte to refuel, but were thrown off course by the weather conditions, according to officials.
The couple reportedly tried to stop several airports but couldn't. They eventually deployed the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS) and floated to the ground in the middle of a neighborhood - landing in someone's yard.
The woman in the home told WBTV that she and her husband heard a loud sound then looked outside to see the plane in their yard. They helped the couple out of the plane and took them inside.
"We heard a loud noise or a thump and my husband said 'what was that?' As I got out to look around I said there's a plane in the back yard," Lynn Welch said. "And he said ' well I'm going to see if everybody is okay, he dialed 911 and went to see the people in the plane."
"I think I panicked afterward, but it's such a blessing that everybody is okay and no fire or anything like that," Welch added.
No injuries were reported and no homes were damaged.
Officials with the National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA are investigating the crash.
Source: http://www.wbtv.com
The plane landed in the backyard of Bud Welch.
"We were just in the house, my wife and I, we heard a loud noise and kind of a thunk. She looked out the back and said, 'there's a plane in our backyard,'” he said.
Welch told FOX 46 he went into the backyard to check on the married couple inside the plane.
"They left from Canada. They were going to Florida for two weeks’ vacation. They set down in Pennsylvania to go through customs. They were trying to land in Charlotte to refuel and something happened to the plane,” he explained.
The couple was not hurt.
The only thing damaged was Welch’s chain link fence.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation by the FAA.
KANNAPOLIS, N.C. -- A couple traveling from Canada crash landed their small plane in Kannapolis on Friday afternoon.
No one was seriously injured.
Emergency crews were called to Westchester Drive at about 3:30 p.m.
The plane went down behind some houses.
A neighbor who helped the couple climb from the wreckage says they weren't hurt, but were, naturally, very shaken up.
The couple had planned to make a stop over in Charlotte.
Rescuers haven't said why they didn't make it.
Source: http://www.twcnews.com
After the missed approach, another 20 minutes of 'wondering' (for a lack of a better term) east and north of Charlotte Douglas International Airport under the control of ATC
ReplyDeleteSure we be interesting to listen to the communications between ATC and the PIC.
Communications are already available on liveatc.net.
ReplyDeleteThe ATC sounds pretty solid. Maybe I am missing something but the part where ATC asks "are you declaring emergency", the answer is definitively "NO", followed by non-stop help flying the RNAV GPS approach. Also the part where he tells ATC he's got an hour left of fuel (after previously saying 17 minutes). 100% confusion, glad it ended well. I see no ATC issues here.
ReplyDeleteController asked how much fuel is left as the plane was climbing. The engine was probably at full power. In this situation, the on-board computer could have easily estimated 17 minutes at maximum fuel burn. Once the plane leveled off, the pilot most likely pulled power back to cruise setting which would result in computer estimating 1 hr. Just a guess.
ReplyDeleteGlad it turned out ok! Did auto pilot fail? Both approaches appeared to be on the mark and suddenly went off course. Every instrument PIC needs to be able to hand fly an ILS. I am going to practice soon.
ReplyDelete