Cirrus Design Corp SR22 accident near Knoxville, TN
On December 16, 2021, a Cirrus Design Corp SR22 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Knoxville, TN. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- December 16, 2021
- Place
- Knoxville, TN
- Aircraft
- Cirrus Design Corp SR22 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 1 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 35.834°N, 83.860°W
- NTSB ID
- 20211216104416
Official records · ERA22LA089
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
Air traffic control records
- ATC - Attachment 3 - ATC Audio Recording - Tys Lc: Audio recording (WAV), on ntsb.gov
- ATC - Attachment 1 - Ads-B Data - N162am Only: Document (XLSX), on ntsb.gov
- ATC - Attachment 2 - Opsvue Track Data: Document (ZIP), on ntsb.gov
- ATC - Attachment 4 - FAA Aircraft Accident Package: Document (PDF), on ntsb.gov
- FAA Air Traffic Control Order Jo 7110.65z: Document (PDF), on ntsb.gov
NTSB summary
On December 16, 2021, about 1007 central standard time, a Cirrus SR22, N162AM, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near McGhee Tyson Airport (TYS), Knoxville, Tennessee. The private pilot received serious injuries, and the pilot-rated passenger was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. According to the first responders, they observed an occupant of the airplane, later identified as the pilot-rated passenger, about 30 ft from the aircraft upon arrival at the accident scene. They reported that the passenger had third-degree burns on his body but was alert, conscious, and responsive to verbal commands. The passenger stated he was returning from a 45-minute flight and that he and the other occupant encountered wake turbulence on short final. He explained that the airplane lost lift, rolled inverted, and the ballistic parachute was activated. He mentioned that the airplane "hit the ground and burst into a fireball.". According to the pilot, he recalled they were on the second takeoff and were instructed by air traffic control (ATC) to make right traffic. The crosswind and downwind segments were uneventful. He stated that he was doing most of the flight control manipulation but was primarily focused on experiencing the heads-up display (HUD) that the passenger was demonstrating. The pilot reported that, approximately abeam the 1,000 ft markers for runway 23L, ATC advised them of an incoming Airbus on final. The pilot stated that they made visual contact with the Airbus, and he advised ATC,
Probable cause
The pilot’s encounter with a wake vortex from a preceding airplane, which resulted in a roll upset at an altitude too low for recovery. Contributing to the accident was the failure of ATC to issue a wake turbulence cautionary advisory.
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Browse: Tennessee · Cirrus aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
