Wednesday, February 09, 2022

Cirrus SR22 GTS G3 Turbo, N227BD: Fatal accident occurred January 31, 2022 near Hutchinson Municipal Airport (KHCD), McLeod County, Minnesota

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. 

The National Transportation Safety Board did not travel to the scene of this accident.

Additional Participating Entities: 
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Minneapolis, Minnesota
Cirrus Aircraft; Duluth, Minnesota


Location: Hutchinson, Minnesota 
Accident Number: CEN22FA111
Date and Time: January 31, 2022, 12:56 Local 
Registration: N227BD
Aircraft: CIRRUS DESIGN CORP SR22 
Injuries: 1 Fatal, 1 Serious
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Instructional

On January 31, 2022, about 1256 central standard time, a Cirrus SR22 airplane, N227BD, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Hutchinson, Minnesota. The flight instructor was seriously injured, and the pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight.

The flight instructor reported that the purpose of the flight was to familiarize the pilot with the newly purchased airplane. After practicing maneuvers, they proceeded to the Hutchinson Municipal Airport – Butler Field (HCD) to practice a touch-and-go landing. The airplane touched down onto the runway and bounced. The pilot added power, reduced the flaps, and placed the nose to the horizon to conduct a go around. The airplane started to climb very slowly. The flight instructor confirmed the airplane’s flaps were up, but the airplane continued to climb about 300 ft per minute. In addition, he felt an erratic vibration. He could hear and feel it rattle through the airplane. The airplane’s airspeed increased to about 90 knots and as the airplane climbed through 500 ft agl, they stated “caps available.” The airplane continued to climb very slowly, and the pilot stated, “your flight controls.” The flight instructor took over the controls and ensured the throttle was full forward. He made a gradual turn to align the airplane with an open field. The airplane continued to gain altitude, however, its airspeed decreased below 80 knots. The flight instructor told the pilot to pull the parachute, and he did. The flight instructor kept the airplane level until the forward parachute straps tightened. He then reduced the throttle to idle, turned off the mixture, and made a mayday call. He does not recall the impact sequence.

The airplane touched down in an open field about 2 miles southeast of HCD. The airplane came to rest mostly intact, and the debris field was contained to a small area. The first identified point of impact consisted of the nose gear wheel, fairing, and one propeller blade. A narrow line of oil extended about 5 ft toward the main wreckage, which was about 15 ft northwest. One propeller blade was located about 400 ft southwest of the main wreckage, and the second propeller blade was about 40 ft east of the wreckage; it was the last piece of debris.

First responders reported that when they arrived on scene, they observed the parachute fully extended from the airplane and fully opened in the wind. The rocket and parachute deployment bag were found high in a tree about 1,000 ft northeast of the accident site.

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: CIRRUS DESIGN CORP
Registration: N227BD
Model/Series: SR22 
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Amateur Built:
Operator:
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None
Operator Designator Code:

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: VMC
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: KHCD, 1062 ft msl 
Observation Time: 12:55 Local
Distance from Accident Site: 1.9 Nautical Miles 
Temperature/Dew Point: -5°C /-8°C
Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear 
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 7 knots / , 130°
Lowest Ceiling: None 
Visibility: 10 miles
Altimeter Setting: 29.75 inches Hg 
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Departure Point: Minneapolis, MN (FCM)
Destination: Hutchinson, MN

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 Fatal, 1 Serious 
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: N/A 
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A 
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 1 Fatal, 1 Serious 
Latitude, Longitude: 44.83047,-94.3503 

Those who may have information that might be relevant to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigation may contact them by email witness@ntsb.gov, and any friends and family who want to contact investigators about the accident should email assistance@ntsb.gov. You can also call the NTSB Response Operations Center at 844-373-9922 or 202-314-6290.

Dr. Richard Jolkovsky
April 13, 1960 - February 2, 2022  
~


On Wednesday, February 2, 2022, the world lost an amazing human. Dr. Richard Jolkovsky, known as Rick or RJ to his friends, died from injuries sustained from a plane crash at the age of 61. Solace can be taken knowing he died doing something he truly loved. 

There are many words to describe Rick; caring physician, pilot, dog lover, Philmont Trekker. He loved life and had a life well-lived. He is especially known for his love and caring for others. As a cardiologist, it wasn’t just his job to save the lives of others, it was his passion. He was a dear friend to many and could always be counted on for a good, albeit often corny, joke. But what mostly defined Rick was his devotion to and love for his family. He loved his wife and kids fiercely. 

As a Cardiologist at Centracare Heart and Vascular Center at Saint Cloud Hospital, it was his job to save lives. He continues to do so even in death as an organ donor. To honor that part of him, it is requested that donations be made to the American Heart Association. 

As an adventurer and nature lover, Rick loved hunting and fishing, especially with his beloved dogs. One of his favorite places to commune with nature is Philmont Scout Camp which he attended as a youth in 1974, returned to as a staff member and frequently visited later. 

A scholarship fund has been set up in his name to allow others to experience the joy and magic of this special place. Rick served six years as a Major in the Air Force. He was an alumni of Florida State University. 

Rick is survived by his beloved wife, Merryn; and the children he cherished, Betsy, Emily and Ben; his brother and best-friend, Dave; his two sisters, Rachel and Cheryl; and his uncle, Myron. A memorial service will be held at The Park Event Center, 500 Division St., Waite Park, MN on Sunday, February 6, 2022. The family will hold a visitation at 1:00 to receive friends prior to the service which will begin at 2:00.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests Rick be honored through donations to one of the causes that are dear to his heart:






Dr. Richard Jolkovsky, 61, of Avon, and passenger Kyle Fiebelkorn, 24, of St. Louis Park, were seriously injured in the crash near 145th Street and Plum Avenue, south of Hutchinson. The crash was reported just after 1 p.m. Monday, according to the McLeod County Sheriff’s Office.

Jolkovsky and Fielbelkorn were taken to a local hospital with serious injuries before being flown to a Twin Cities trauma center. Fiebelkorn was hospitalized in stable condition as of Wednesday, according to the release.

Jolkovsky was a cardiologist with the CentraCare Heart and Vascular Center, as well as the medical director of clinical excellence, according to CentraCare. He began his CentraCare career in 1996 and had several roles in cardiology and with St. Cloud Hospital, including as chief of staff. At the time of his death, he was a member of the St. Cloud Hospital Board of Directors.

Jolkovsky and his wife were also supporters of CentraCare Foundation for more than 25 years, according to CentraCare.

“As a cardiologist with CentraCare Heart and Vascular Center, Dr. Jolkovsky touched the lives of patients and CentraCare staff across Central Minnesota. Our hearts go out to Rick’s wife, Merryn Jolkovsky, M.D., palliative care physician with CentraCare and the entire Jolkovsky family,” according to a statement from CentraCare.

A Federal Aviation Administration incident report said the flight crashed for unknown reasons. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash.

According to FAA records, the airplane was a 1998 Cirrus SR22, a single-engine plane configured for four passengers. Cirrus is headquartered in Duluth.



18 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Starboard flap appears to be suspended below the wing by three supports when you look at the helicopter scene flyover video at the one minute mark and onward. Odd.

      https://www.fox9.com/news/pilot-killed-passenger-hospitalized-after-plane-crash-south-of-hutchinson-minn

      Delete
    2. KHCD METAR:
      KHCD 311855Z AUTO 13007KT 10SM CLR M05/M08 A2975

      Delete
    3. KHCD is elevation 1062', Flightaware track shows a pass across the runway at 1400 MSL extending on the runway heading to 1700 MSL at last captured ADS-B data point. May have been a low CAPS pull that wasn't fully unreefed and hit hard.

      May have been a new owner familiarization flight. The aircraft had a recent for sale listing with a late November 2021 annual and came to MN from Sacramento in late January. Survivor Kyle F. has commercial and flight instructor certifications.

      https://flightaware.com/live/flight/N227BD
      https://www.hangar67.com/aircraft/2008-cirrus-sr22g3-turbo/21403?psrc=17094

      Delete
    4. Does it allow you to deploy caps under 500 AGL? I saw a video on YouTube several years ago a LSA tried to land was long and deployed the BRS it did deploy fully and looked like no one was hurt. The forward speed seemed to help open it. I can't find the video anymore maybe it was taken down. Looking at the size of the chute on this Cirrus look really big maybe not enough time to fully deploy.

      Delete
    5. CAPS uses a direct pull control, nothing prevents pulling it other than a manual safing pin at the handle. Deployment at low height above ground such that the aircraft is forward of the chute and swinging down but not yet under the canopy at the moment of ground intercept would produce significantly higher impact forces.

      Delete
    6. Interestingly, per the video below, the Boris Popoff says of the Cirrus CAPS system: "the parachute can be used at any altitude and any speed" and "even at very low altitudes, deploying the parachute will offer some drag and reduce the g-forces in a crash even if it doesn't fully deploy":
      https://youtu.be/zT58pzY41wA?t=480

      Which is interesting advice because there are definitely some accidents that were likely made worse by a too-low CAPS deployment, such as the fatal crash of N821SG.

      Delete
    7. The physics math says if already LOC and pointed nose down at the ground with no hope of leveling off, a low pull partial deploy that adds drag can be lower impact force than a full speed hit.

      Falling to the ground while streaming a partially deployed parachute instead of trying a horizontal landing attempt isn't likely to be the better choice when still in control over open land.

      Delete
  2. Activity: INSTRUCTION
    "Flight Phase: TAKEOFF (TOF)" thus appears from Rwy 15.
    "the crash near 145th Street and Plum Avenue" is by my est. 10,000 ft. straight line beyond threshold of Rwy 33.

    ReplyDelete
  3. How did the starboard flap seem odd? Thanks, Dave J.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Starboard flap appearing to be suspended below the wing by three supports suggests that it overstressed it's mountings . Presumably from hard impact, same as the rudder separation, but investigators will want to verify that.

      What is odd is that a flap would overstress it's mountings by inertial forces alone. Presumably the flap was not malfunctioning and contributing to the accident.

      Delete
  4. NTSB preliminary report is up. I wonder if there was a prop strike on the bounced landing.

    Survivor doesn't have a recollection of the impact.

    https://t.co/lxtyKAZ2SB

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. N227BD's prop was a Hartzell ASC-II three blade composite propeller. Carbon fiber over a foam core. Not sure what to expect from a strike, but here is one photo of an unspecified composite prop's strike damage:

      https://cdn.aviationpros.com/files/base/CAVC/image/2011/02/16x9/640x360/recipcompositebladegroundstrik_10226399.jpg

      Late 2021 listing showing N227BD as equipped:
      https://www.aircraft.com/aircraft/210387217/n227bd-2008-cirrus-sr22-g3-turbo

      Delete
    2. If the survivor's account is true (and it will likely be able to be verified by flight data), then the CAPS pull occurred well within the envelope for a successful outcome, so it will be very interesting to find out how the pilot got fatally injured.

      Delete
  5. How many Cirrus accidents have there been where the CAPs chute was not used and people survived and plane did not burn up?

    ReplyDelete
  6. Certificate Issue Date: 2022-03-02
    Airworthiness Date: 2008-07-15
    "The SR20 and SR22 have a 4-point restraint system for each seat. Airbag systems are included in the front seats of all SR20 and SR22 models manufactured beginning in 2005. The airbag system is active at all times, regardless of whether the restraint is buckled. The airbag is mounted in the outboard shoulder harness and has an inverted L-shape with a vent hole on each lobe of the bag on the instrument panel side." additional reading @ "Airbag Performance in General Aviation Restraint Systems" https://www.ntsb.gov/safety/safety-studies/Documents/SS1101.pdf

    ReplyDelete
  7. I have the full path flight recorded on flightradar24.com Shows speeds and everything. When the plane hit the ground it suggests they hit traveling 33 mph. Is that accurate? Maybe hard to say with a parachute and how long it was deployed.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I thought it likely that it was a stall-spin with CAPS deployment not performed in time, but now I wonder if that's correct. Perhaps we'll never know. But if the chute was deployed in time, it seems like it should be survivable. Very sobering.

    ReplyDelete