Cirrus SR22T N778WT

Summary

On 31 March 2026 at about 23:30 local time, a Cirrus SR22T registered N778WT was involved in an accident near Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, United States. 3 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

31 March 2026 at 23:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, United States

Nearest airport

Raven's Run (SC65)

Coordinates

32.8238, -79.8067

Aircraft

Cirrus SR22T

Registration

N778WT

Category

Airplane

Year built

2021

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Mount Pleasant → Opa-Locka

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

ERA26LA157

Nobody was injured.

The airplane’s encounter with uneven terrain during takeoff, which resulted in a runway excursion and impact with water.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The flight instructor and the student pilot were on a multi-leg cross-country flight, and conducted an overflight of the private-use airport’s 2,400-ft-long by 100-ft-wide turf runway to assess its condition. They observed no obstacles or wildlife and landed uneventfully. After performing a preflight inspection of the airplane, the flight instructor planned to perform a soft-field takeoff. The flight instructor reported that during the takeoff roll, it felt as if the left main landing gear struck something, after which the airplane suddenly began a hard turn to the left. The flight instructor applied full right rudder and reduced engine power in an attempt to regain control; however, the airplane exited the runway and struck water adjacent to the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the elevator during the accident sequence. The flight instructor and the student pilot reported there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. An FAA inspector who examined the runway after the accident observed noticeable areas of uneven ground, as well as various low and high spots that were the result of ant hills, mole tunnels, and ground settling. Given this information, it is likely that one of the airplane’s main landing gear briefly contacted one of these areas of uneven ground during the takeoff roll, which resulted in the airplane’s left turn and the subsequent runway excursion.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.