While Landing On The Soft Desert Terrain, The Flight Instructor Flared Aggressively To Reduce Ground Speed

Location: St. George, UT Accident Number: WPR25LA027
Date & Time: October 27, 2024, 17:12 Local Registration: N27WF
Aircraft: Cirrus Design Corp SR20 Injuries: 3 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Instructional

On October 27, 2024, about 1712 mountain standard time, a Cirrus SR20, N27WF, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near St. George, Utah. The flight instructor, student pilot, and passenger were not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight.

The flight instructor stated that the purpose of the flight was to drop the passenger off in Provo, Utah, while also providing the owner/student with familiarization experience in the airplane. During the runup, the flight instructor noticed the left magneto was running rough with a 150 rpm drop. Assuming spark plug fouling, he leaned the mixture for several minutes and then repeated the magneto check, which showed normal operation. Thereafter, they departed from runway 19 and felt a sluggish acceleration which he attributed to the added weight. The airplane climbed normally to about 200 feet above ground level (agl) before it would not accelerate, although the engine sounded normal.

The flight instructor tried troubleshooting by cycling the throttle, adjusting the mixture, and confirming the flaps were at 50%. Despite these actions, the airplane did not accelerate. The gauges indicated the engine rpm was 2,500 and the airspeed was around 70 knots, but the airplane was unable to climb. With rising terrain ahead, the flight instructor banked left toward the airport. After realizing the airplane would not make it to the runway, he maintained a controlled descent to avoid stalling. 

While landing on the soft desert terrain, the flight instructor flared aggressively to reduce ground speed. The left wing dropped low, which resulted in a hard landing that sheared off the landing gear. The airplane skidded and spun 180-270°before it came to rest upright. The flight instructor, student pilot, and passenger egressed from the airplane and it became engulfed in flames shortly thereafter.

A review of the data record by Cirrus revealed that following departure, the airplane climbed gradually for about three minutes to the maximum attained altitude of 2,950 ft. The airplane began a gradual left turn and for the next approximate 40 seconds, there was little change in the engine rpm, the recorded cylinder head temperatures (CHTs) and exhaust gas temperatures (EGTs). 

The airplane crashed several seconds thereafter with no recorded data that would be consistent with a catastrophic malfunction. The wreckage was recovered to a secured facility for a future examination. 

FMI: www.ntsb.gov