An ANN Special Report

During a conversation ANN Editor, Jim Campbell, had with Cirrus Design President Alan Klapmeier (right) several years ago... he noted that the airplanes Klapmeier was building were probably due to become some of the most heavily and aggressively utilized single engine airplanes in the civil aviation fleet. As such, he cautiously worried that previous history suggested that the early days of use for these birds were due to see a number of accidents as pilots struggled to understand the rudiments of owning and flying high performance, multi-mission airplanes.

This warning is coming true. Despite (truly) exceptional performance, handling and safety features, the Cirrus Design SR20 and SR22 are racking up a fair amount of tragic (and occasionally strange) accidents... due to a number of (mostly) non-design/airframe related causes. In one recent week, an SR20 and SR22 went down, killing three people. The circumstances and details differ markedly in each accident. So far, the Cirrus line has been involved in half a dozen fatal (production) accidents, killing ten people. A number of less serious accidents have also occurred in numbers that seem a bit out of proportion for a fleet of some seven hundred airplanes... until you look at the airplanes and the aggressive usage they incur. Nonetheless; the numbers have the Cirrus community alarmed at what has transpired.

On Saturday, January 18th, 2003; N9523P, a Cirrus SR22, went down near Hill City, Minn. Respected Grand Rapids businessman Gary Prokop and his passenger, Jim Kosak, were killed when they impacted the ground just before dawn enroute to St. Cloud. The airplane departed the Grand Rapids/Itasca County Airport (GPZ), Grand Rapids, Minnesota, at 0630 cst, with an intended destination of St. Cloud Regional Airport (STC), St. Cloud, Minnesota. The accident occurred as the aircraft reportedly flew into the trees in fairly benign weather ("Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident."). All aircraft systems were reportedly operating up til impact.

**   Report created 1/24/03   Record 22                                       **
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IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 9523P   Make/Model: SR22   Description: SR-22 CIRRUS
  Date: 01/18/2003  Time: 1240

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

LOCATION
  City: HILL CITY   State: MN   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
ACFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES, ACFT ON A HEADING OF 280 DEGREES IMPACTED TREES AND HIT THE GROUND,  2 POB SUFFERED FATAL INJURIES, HILL CITY, MN

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: METAR KGPZ 181255Z AUTO 33014G18KT 10SM FEW011 BKN018 OVC024 RMK A02

OTHER DATA
  Activity: Pleasure  Phase: Maneuver  Operation: General Aviation
  Departed: GRAND RAPIDS, MN   Dep Date: 01/18/2003   Dep. Time:
  Destination: SAINT CLOUD, MN   Flt Plan: NONE   Wx Briefing: Y
  Last Radio Cont: NONE
  Last Clearance: NONE
  FAA FSDO: MINNEAPOLIS, MN  (GL15)   Entry date: 01/21/2003 #

In Thursday's SR20 crash near San Jose, California; Pilot Scott Kelly had reportedly been flying his aircraft only a short time after a long period in which the aircraft had been grounded over paperwork issues with the FAA concerning the addition of some avionics. The SR20 was approaching Reid-Hillview Airport from the south, in "lousy weather," when it veered to the east, lost altitude and tangled with a 500,000-volt power line on a "remote" mountain ridgeline. Kelly was reported to be in communication with Reid-Hillview tower and was reportedly warned that he was too low in an area where some mountain peaks reached 2,500 feet. Shortly thereafter; the plane disappeared from radar. The first fatal (production) SR20 crash also involved flight into obstacles/terrain, in that case the aircraft was IFR. In that case, the flight originated from the Tucson International Airport about 1830, with Albuquerque, New Mexico, as the intended destination. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the accident site and no flight plan had been filed. A search found the burned wreckage near the crest on the side of a ridgeline at 5,200 feet msl. The wreckage distribution was localized within about a 50-foot radius of a single ground disturbance scar on the 30-degree slope of the mountain. According to witnesses in the vicinity of the accident site, the weather conditions consisted of low clouds obscuring the higher terrain, gusting winds, and freezing precipitation.

**   Report created 1/24/03   Record 5                                        **
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IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 893MK   Make/Model: SR20   Description: SR-20 CIRRUS
  Date: 01/23/2003   Time: 0053

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

LOCATION
  City: SAN JOSE   State: CA   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
ACFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES 5 MILES SOUTHEAST OF REID-HILLVIEW AIRPORT, AN ALNOT WAS ISSUED WHEN RADIO/RADAR CONTACT WAS LOST, SOLE OCCUPANT WAS FATALLY INJURED, SAN JOSE, CA

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

WEATHER: RHV 0047UTC'M'280@12KTS 4HZ BKN012 OVC080 16/12 3024

OTHER DATA
  Activity: Unknown      Phase: Unknown      Operation: General Aviation
  Departed: NAPA, CA   Dep Date:    Dep. Time:
  Destination: SAN JOSE, CA   Flt Plan: IFR    Wx Briefing: Y
  Last Radio Cont: FIVE MILES EAST OF REID-HILLVIEW
  Last Clearance: CLRD TO LAND ON RWY 31R
  FAA FSDO: SAN JOSE, CA  (WP15)    Entry date: 01/24/2003

The Cirrus community is (rightfully) questioning itself about how such accidents can happen in these outstanding aircraft. Whatever may come of their concerns, they enjoy a distinct advantage that may serve as an inestimably valuable model for the future of such aircraft... in the form of "COPA." The Cirrus community is served by a well-designed and VERY active web site hosted by an aggressively safety-minded owner group, the Cirrus Owner's and Pilot's Association. The site has served as a communications nexus for the much of the Cirrus community and the discussion boards, alone, are worth the pittance of a membership fee. Online, members will also find documents, ADs, Service Bulletins, manuals, and hundreds of documents and data sources pertaining to the Cirrus fleet. The COPA site is starting to show signs of something else, though... as the members look at the accidents that are happening and are planning, collectively, to remove themselves from the potential ranks of future statistics and get actively involved in positively enhancing their destinies.

Even in the early days after these latest tragedies, the COPA group has brainstormed a wonderful way to support each other. Proposed by COPA honcho, Mike Radomsky, a "COPA-TAN" program is underway. The program creates the "'COPA Transport and Accommodation Network' - (which includes) a signup sheet with a link on the main COPA page. Participants will provide their name, phone number, location, and pledge that if any other member is ever stuck or in doubt about the wisdom of flying, they can call at any time - middle of the night if necessary - and (they'll) come get them. If they need a bed, (they'll) provide one. Just as long as they're available. If the flight doesn't 'feel' right, that's reason enough to use the 'COPA-TAN.'"

In a posting to the very popular Cirrus Owner's and Pilot's Association web site (www.cirruspilots.org), ANN's Jim Campbell noted that, "...You own one of the most heavily utilized single engine airplanes in the business. Accidents were bound to happen... especially in light of the fact that this new breed of aircraft has capabilities and equipment that have, here-to-fore, been unavailable to the GA fleet... making all those trained in less capable aircraft an accident waiting to happen unless they realized that they were taking on a new degree of capability and complexity when they strapped on a Cirrus. Mind you, it's a hell of an airplane--one of my favorites--but what's happening now is perfectly predictable... and preventable. As a community, you now have an opportunity to reverse the accident trend by making yourself the most safety conscious and prepared flyers in the air... but only if you look at the 'highly capable' aircraft you own and fly them as 'highly capable' pilots."

So far, it looks as if Cirrus flyers, already known to be as tight-knit as Harley Riders, appear to be heading on a track that is not only destined to make their operations safer, but possibly provide a blueprint for other aircraft groups to collectively organize to improve the safety of their operations, as well. A number of ideas have been put forth, some damned good ones so far, and the next few months should see some interesting initiatives. We'll keep you informed as to how and what they're doing as well as what the rest of aviaion might try emulating.

In the meantime, though, if you are a Cirrus owner, operate a high performance aircraft, or are interested in such, a membership in the Cirrus Owner's and Pilot's Association seems like a no-brainer... We recommend them highly.

FMI: www.cirrsupilots.org, www.cirrusdesign.com