The Pilot Did Not Request Any Air Traffic Control Services During The Flight

Location: Jesup, GA Accident Number: ERA23FA182
Date & Time: April 6, 2023, 07:50 Local Registration: N911TK
Aircraft: Cirrus Design Corp SR22 Injuries: 1 Fatal
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal

On April 6, 2023, about 0750 eastern daylight time, a Cirrus Design Corp SR22, N911TK, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Jesup, Georgia. The private pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.

According to initial ADS-B data, the airplane departed from Fernandina Beach Municipal Airport (FHB), Fernandina Beach, Florida about 0728 and proceeded to the north-northwest, at 1,700 ft msl, toward Jesup-Wayne County Airport (JES), Jesup, Georgia. The pilot did not request any air traffic control services during the flight. At 0746, he initiated a descent, eventually crossing the JES airport boundary from the south at 225 ft msl, on a perpendicular ground track to runway 29. 

While crossing the runway, the airplane was observed in a slight climb before ADSB data was lost. The airplane impacted level terrain about 1,200 feet from the runway 29 threshold, near the approach lighting system. The wreckage came to rest upright, and there was no fire. Ground signatures were consistent with a right wing low, nose low impact with terrain. The wreckage came to rest near to the point of initial ground impact on a heading of 040°. The wing flaps actuator was found in the retracted (up) position. One of the propeller blades fractured during the impact sequence. The blades exhibited chordwise scratching, surface polishing, and “s” bending signatures. 

The airplane was equipped with the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS). The system had not activated and the parachute was not deployed. The CAPS safety pin was found in place in the CAPS handle holder. The airport was equipped with an Automated Weather Observing System and the 0750 observation included ¼-mile visibility in fog, calm wind, and a ceiling of 300 ft. Airport personnel who arrived to work about 5 minutes after the accident reported and documented fog on the ramp at the time of their arrival.

The pilot held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land and instrument airplane, and was the owner of the airplane. There was a published RNAV GPS approach to runway 29; however, the airplane’s ADS-B flight track was not consistent with that instrument approach procedure.

The airplane was equipped with multifunction and primary flight displays. The non-volatile memory from those units were forwarded to the NTSB Vehicle Recorders Laboratory for examination and download of the data.

The wreckage was retained for further examination.

FMI: www.ntsb.gov