Cirrus SR22 N678EC
11 August 2020 · Lafayette, Indiana, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 11 August 2020 at about 21:20 local time, a Cirrus SR22 registered N678EC was involved in an accident near Lafayette, Indiana, United States. 3 people were on board and one was seriously injured, one had minor injuries. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 21:20
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Lafayette, Indiana, United States
- Coordinates
- 40.4117, -87.2572
- Aircraft
- Cirrus SR22
- Registration
- N678EC
- Category
- Airplane
- Year built
- 2007
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Sellersburg → Chicago/Prospect Heights/Wheeling
- Aircraft damage
- Not recorded
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- CEN20CA335
People
1 person was seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to monitor aircraft control, which resulted in a loss of control when a passenger inadvertently moved the control stick, and the pilot and other passenger's decision to unbuckle their restraints inflight.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
During a cross-country flight, the pilot and a passenger in the rear seat unbuckled their seat belts to try to retrieve items behind the pilot's seat. An adult passenger seated in the front right seat, who was unfamiliar with the side-stick controller in the airplane, grabbed the side-stick controller while adjusting their seat. The pressure on the control stick caused the airplane to violently climb and descend 3-4 times before the pilot was able to regain control. During the excursions the pilot and the back-seat passenger bounced off the ceiling, resulting in minor injuries to the pilot and serious injuries to the unrestrained passenger. The pilot declared an emergency and proceeded direct to Chicago Executive Airport where he landed uneventfully. The pilot stated there was nothing wrong with the airplane prior to the event occurring and the airplane was not damaged.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Cirrus SR22 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 Aug 2020 | Cirrus SR22 | Lawrenceville, Illinois, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 16 Aug 2020 | Cirrus SR22 | Osage Beach, Missouri, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 5 Sep 2020 | Cirrus SR22 | Chester, Arkansas, United States | - | Fatal | 4 |
| 31 May 2020 | Cirrus SR22 | Foreign, United Kingdom | - | No injuries | - |
| 22 Oct 2020 | Cirrus SR22 | Xenia, Ohio, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 6 Nov 2020 | Cirrus SR22 | Denver, Colorado, United States | Independence Aviation LLC | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 Oct 2020 | Stephens William E QUICKSILVER MXL-2 SP | Mount Vernon, Indiana, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 16 May 2020 | Rotorway EXEC | Rochester, Indiana, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 23 Feb 2020 | Innovator MOSQUITTO | North Manchester, Indiana, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 28 Oct 2020 | Aeronca 11AC | Wabash, Indiana, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 3 Mar 2020 | Cessna 172 | Madison, Indiana, United States | Honaker Group LLC | No injuries | - |
| 15 Jul 2020 | Cessna A185 | Rochester, Indiana, United States | - | No injuries | - |