Cirrus SR22T N325JK

Summary

On 3 January 2018 at about 23:06 local time, a Cirrus SR22T registered N325JK was involved in an accident near Gulf of Mexico, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

3 January 2018 at 23:06

Classification

Accident

Location

Gulf of Mexico, United States

Coordinates

23.8133, -89.6853

Aircraft

Cirrus SR22T

Registration

N325JK

Category

Airplane

Year built

2016

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Oklahoma City → Georgetown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

CEN18FA400

1 person died.

The pilot's incapacitation resulted in impact with the Gulf of Mexico. The reason the hypoxia recognition system did not descend the airplane as designed could not be determined as the airplane was not located.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was in cruise flight at 19,000 ft mean sea level when he became unresponsive to air traffic control. Military pilots dispatched to intercept the airplane reported that the pilot was seated upright with his head tilted back against his seat and was unresponsive. The airplane continued on its established course at 19,000 ft over the Gulf of Mexico, where radar contact was lost about 3.75 hours after the pilot's last communication with air traffic control. The engine likely lost total power due to fuel exhaustion and the airplane descended into the water. The airplane was equipped with a hypoxia recognition system which was designed to descend the airplane to a lower altitude in the event of pilot incapacitation. Given the altitude of the accident airplane, the system should have activated about 17 minutes after the pilot's last input or interaction with the system. Following the accident, the manufacturer identified a condition under which uncommanded inputs could be made to the airplane's avionics, which could interfere with the normal function of the hypoxia recognition and automated descent features; however, the reason for the accident airplane's continued flight at 19,000 ft could not be determined, as the airplane was not recovered. The last few transmissions by the pilot to air traffic control illustrated a degradation in communication consistent with incapacitation. Given this interaction with the pilot and the lack of response from the pilot when the airplane was intercepted, it is likely that the pilot became incapacitated due to hypoxic hypoxia.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.