Plane Flew Low, Slow Minutes Before Accident

Police in Tallahassee, FL have confirmed the identities of a man and woman killed when their Cirrus SR22 crashed in a residential neighborhood Thursday night.

Donald Hess and his wife, Victoria, both 64 years old, were flying from Columbus, OH to Tallahassee when their plane crashed about two miles from Tallahassee Regional Airport (TLH) at approximately 7:21 pm EST. Witnesses told The Tallahassee Democrat they heard the aircraft's engine quit before the crash.

Online flight tracking data shows the aircraft was operating on an IFR flight plan. Florida State meteorologist Tim Barry said conditions at TLH were deteriorating around the time of the accident; at 7 pm 10-mile visibility was recorded, but that had dropped to just 3 miles within 20 minutes. At 8 pm, reported visibility was down to 2.5 miles.

In its preliminary report, the Federal Aviation Administration states the aircraft was being vectored to the ILS 27 approach at TLH when it crashed. According to track log data on FlightAware.com, the aircraft descended from 2,000 feet to 300 feet over the course of four minutes, and slowed to approach speed, about eight minutes before the accident.

The aircraft struck power lines before impacting two parked vehicles in front of a home, according to a Tallahassee Police Department news release. A woman was inside one of the vehicles when it was hit, and a second was walking nearby; both were taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

A third woman inside the home was treated at the scene for minor cuts.

The aircraft (file photo of type shown below) came to rest against the home in an inverted attitude. There was no post-impact fire, though there was some concern about the possibility the aircraft's rocket-launched ballistic parachute system would misfire. Police briefly evacuated 10 nearby homes as a precaution.

Local authorities remained on scene throughout the night, guarding the wreckage from onlookers and until investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board and FAA arrived on scene Friday morning.

IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 827GM        Make/Model: SR22      Description: SR-22
  Date: 11/13/2008     Time: 0018

  Event Type: Accident   Highest Injury: Fatal     Mid Air: N    Missing: N
  Damage: Destroyed

LOCATION
  City: TALLAHASSEE    State: FL   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
  AIRCRAFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES AFTER BEING VECTORED TO ILS
  RWY 27, TALLASHASSEE, FL

INJURY DATA      Total Fatal:   2
                 # Crew:   1     Fat:   1     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Pass:   1     Fat:   1     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Grnd:         Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   

WEATHER: 1SM BK OVC002 22/22 A2992

OTHER DATA
  Activity: Unknown      Phase: Landing      Operation: OTHER

  FAA FSDO: ORLANDO, FL  (SO15)                   Entry date: 11/14/2008

FMI: www.faa.gov