Cirrus Design Corp. SR20 accident near Lancaster, CA

On January 9, 2006, a Cirrus Design Corp. SR20 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Lancaster, CA. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.

Date

January 9, 2006

Place

Lancaster, CA

Aircraft

Cirrus Design Corp. SR20 · Airplane

Injuries

2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor

Damage

Destroyed

Position

34.751°N, 118.196°W

NTSB ID

20060118X00087

Official records · LAX06FA087

• Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation

Air traffic control records

• Audio File- WJF Tower communications with N526CD: Audio recording (MP3), on ntsb.gov
• WJF ATC Transcript: Transcript (PDF), on ntsb.gov

NTSB summary

1.1 HISTORY OF FLIGHT On January 9, 2006, at 1332 Pacific standard time, a Cirrus SR20, N526CD, impacted terrain while maneuvering to return to the runway following a simulated engine failure at General William J. Fox Airfield (WJF), Lancaster, California. Gene Hudson Flight Training was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The certified flight instructor (CFI) pilot and the private pilot undergoing instruction (PUI) sustained fatal injuries; the airplane was destroyed. The local instructional flight departed Van Nuys, California, about 1250. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. The approximate global positioning system (GPS) coordinates of the primary wreckage were 34 degrees 45.048 minutes north latitude and 118 degrees 11.738 minutes west longitude. The National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge (IIC) interviewed the WJF air traffic controllers who were on duty at the time of the accident. The controllers reported that the Cirrus reported inbound to WJF from the south and requested to do multiple touch-and-go takeoffs and landings. The Cirrus was cleared into the pattern and advised to use runway 6. After the Cirrus had completed multiple touch-and-go takeoffs and landings, the pilot requested to make a low approach to runway 6 and on climb out, simulate an engine failure, execute a teardrop maneuver, and land using runway 24. The controller advised that the winds were 060 degrees and 10 knots, gusting to 17, and approved the pilot's requested maneuver. The controllers observed the Cirru

Probable cause

The student pilot's failure to maintain an adequate airspeed while maneuvering, and, the flight instructor's inadequate supervision of the flight. A factor in the accident was the strong tailwind encountered as the airplane turned from an upwind to a downwind during the teardrop maneuver.

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Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.