Cirrus SR22T N272HM

Summary

On 23 December 2025 at about 22:55 local time, a Cirrus SR22T registered N272HM was involved in an accident near Lake Elsinore, California, United States. One person was 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

23 December 2025 at 22:55

Classification

Accident

Location

Lake Elsinore, California, United States

Nearest airport

John Wayne/Orange County (SNA)

Coordinates

33.6092, -117.4300

Aircraft

Cirrus SR22T

Registration

N272HM

Category

Airplane

Year built

2015

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Santa Ana → Palm Springs

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR26LA071

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s intentional deployment of the airframe parachute system due to task-saturation in instrument meteorological conditions.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot of the airplane reported that during a cross-country flight, on an instrument flight rules flight plan, the controller issued several heading changes and a clearance to climb to 7,000 ft mean sea level, which placed the airplane in instrument meteorological conditions. While en route, the controller issued additional instructions to join an airway; however, the pilot anticipated joining a different airway and queried the controller. The controller responded that the airway the pilot should have joined was now behind their position. The pilot became confused and realized he had misunderstood instructions earlier in the flight but continued to fly his anticipated route instead of the corrected clearance. The controller advised the pilot to turn immediately due to terrain. The pilot disconnected the autopilot and manually turned the airplane in accordance with the controller’s instructions. During the turn, the airplane pitched nose-down and the pilot had difficulty controlling the pitch. The pilot elected to deploy the airframe parachute system due to his concerns about the terrain, difficulty controlling the airplane, and the perceived urgency in the voice of the controller. The parachute successfully deployed and the airplane descended under the parachute, until it came to rest upright on rocky, sloped terrain. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the aft fuselage. 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.