Cirrus SR-22 accident near Ravenswood, WV

On July 31, 2009, a Cirrus SR-22 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Ravenswood, WV. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.

Date

July 31, 2009

Place

Ravenswood, WV

Aircraft

Cirrus SR-22 · Airplane

Injuries

1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor

Damage

Destroyed

Position

39.034°N, 81.738°W

NTSB ID

20090731X10108

Official records · ERA09FA429

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

Air traffic control records

• Air Traffic Control Timeline: Document (PDF), on ntsb.gov

NTSB summary

HISTORY OF FLIGHT On July 30, 2009, at 2149 eastern daylight time, a Cirrus SR-22, N581DS, was destroyed when it impacted terrain in Ravenswood, West Virginia. The certificated airline transport pilot, the sole occupant, sustained fatal injuries. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan was filed for the Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The flight originated at York Municipal Airport (JYR), York, Nebraska, about 1840, and was bound for Eagle Creek Airpark (EYE), Indianapolis, Indiana. According to the owner of the airplane, who did not hold any pilot certificates, he hired the accident pilot to fly him between JYR and EYE for business during the week. It was their custom to fly at lower altitudes from EYE to JYR, in order to minimize the effects of headwinds. On the return flight to EYE, they would normally fly at 25,000 feet to take advantage of tailwinds. On the day of the accident, he and the accident pilot completed the flight from EYE to JYR at 6,000 feet, and the pilot then departed on the return flight to EYE. The oxygen system was not serviced prior to departure, but was scheduled to be serviced at EYE the following week. Approximately 7 miles northeast of JYR, the pilot contacted Minneapolis Air Route Traffic Control Center and requested an IFR clearance to EYE. The airplane was incrementally cleared to 25,000 feet. Data downloaded from the airplane's Recoverable Data Module (RDM) indicated that the pilot activated the oxygen system at 1852, at 12,160 feet. At 1857, the airplane wa

Probable cause

The pilot's improper modification of the certified, on-board oxygen system, which resulted in incapacitation due to hypoxia, and the airplane's subsequent uncontrolled descent into terrain.

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Browse: West Virginia · Cirrus aircraft

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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.