Cirrus SF50 N426SJ

Summary

On 8 February 2023 at about 16:00 local time, a Cirrus SF50 registered N426SJ was involved in an accident near Waukesha, Wisconsin, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

8 February 2023 at 16:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Waukesha, Wisconsin, United States

Nearest airport

Waukesha County Airport (UES)

Coordinates

43.0416, -88.2347

Aircraft

Cirrus SF50

Registration

N426SJ

Category

Airplane

Year built

2019

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN23LA104

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s failure to maintain aircraft control during landing. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s inadequate preflight inspection removal of the angle of attack vane cover.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that during takeoff, he heard a noise that sounded like “gravel hitting the gear,” which continued after landing gear retraction, and prompted a return to the departure airport for a precautionary landing. He stated that while on the downwind leg, the stall warning aural alert sounded, and the stick shaker activated; the pilot used the autopilot disconnect button to regain control of the airplane. During touchdown, the airplane bounced and exited the runway, which resulted in substantial damage to the lower forward fuselage. Following the accident, the pilot discovered that he had failed to remove the angle of attack vane cover. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.