Cirrus SR22 N827GM

Summary

On 14 November 2008 at about 00:13 local time, a Cirrus SR22 registered N827GM, operated by Hess, Donald A, was involved in an accident near Tallahassee, Florida, United States. 5 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

14 November 2008 at 00:13

Classification

Accident

Location

Tallahassee, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

Tallahassee Regional Airport (TLH)

Coordinates

30.3986, -84.3025

Aircraft

Cirrus SR22

Registration

N827GM

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Hess, Donald A

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Columbus → Tallahassee

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

IMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

ERA09FA053

2 people died.

The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed on final approach, which resulted in a low-altitude aerodynamic stall and spin. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's failure to fly the published instrument approach and his subsequent failure to execute a timely missed approach.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

During an instrument-landing-system approach in night meteorological conditions, the airplane initially joined the localizer course but subsequently veered off to the right. The controller made numerous advisory calls to the pilot to direct him back toward the localizer course; however, though the airplane initially made corrections back toward the localizer course, it subsequently turned again toward the right. Radar data indicate that the airplane continued to descend while flying a serpentine track to the right of the localizer course until it made one final turn back toward the localizer and entered a low altitude stall/spin. Immediately prior to entering the stall/spin, the pilot stated over the radio "gotta go." No mechanical anomalies were noted with the airplane and no physical anomalies were noted with the pilot. While the airplane was equipped with a parachute system that, contrary to the checklists, was not armed by the pilot before flight, the low altitude at which the pilot lost control of the airplane would have made a successful deployment doubtful even with the system armed. The pilot and a passenger were fatally injured, one person on the ground was seriously injured, and two others received minor injuries when the airplane impacted automobiles and terrain.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.