N/A Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Grover Hill, Ohio 45849
Thursday, November 6, 2014 18:00 EST

On November 6, 2014, about 1800 eastern standard time, a Cirrus Design Corporation SR22 airplane, N811CD, impacted a farm field near Grover Hill, Ohio, and a post impact fire occurred. The pilot, a pilot-rated passenger, and another passenger sustained fatal injuries. The airplane was destroyed by the impact and subsequent fire. The airplane was registered to and operated by Orthopedic Aviation Services LLC under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Night instrument flight rules (IFR) conditions prevailed in the area of the accident. The flight operated on an activated IFR flight plan. The flight originated about 1545 from the Washington Municipal Airport (AWG), near Washington, Iowa, and was destined for the Findlay Airport (FDY), near Findlay, Ohio. Preliminary flight service station information showed that the pilot requested a weather briefing and filed an IFR flight plan for a direct flight from AWG to FDY. A fueling receipt from AWG showed that N811CD was serviced with 26.67 gallons of 100 low lead aviation gasoline at 1519. The AWG airport manager indicated that he was at the airport at 1530 and he talked to three people who flew in N811CD. There were two men about 60 and a woman of the same age. He reported that they said they were flying east and would be back on Sunday as part of their return flight. Witnesses reported to the airport manager that they thought the woman was seated in the front right seat. The manager indicated that from 300 feet away, the airplane looked very clean. He was outside when they took off and the engine start-up sounded normal as did the engine run-up. The manager said that the takeoff was under full power and they climbed at a normal rate of climb. According to preliminary information from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the accident airplane communicated with the Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) near Ft. Wayne, Indiana. About 1729, the pilot requested a climb to 10 or 11 thousand feet above mean seal level (MSL) because he was "picking up a little ice". The air traffic controller cleared him 10,000 feet MSL, and asked for more details. The pilot reported that windshield was picking up a little ice, and temperature was minus six degrees. About 1746, the pilot reported that the cloud tops were ragged between 9,500 and 10,300 feet MSL. About 1749, the pilot requested a lower altitude and the controller cleared him to 5,000 feet MSL. About 1751 pm the controller handed him off to Toledo TRACON. About 1751, the pilot checks on with Toledo TRACON and indicated that he was on descent. The controller asked the pilot if he had current FDY weather. About 1725, the pilot reported that he has the current FDY weather and requested the RNAV [Area Navigation] Runway 25 approach to FDY. The controller advised the pilot to expect that RNAV approach. The last radio transmission from the airplane was received about 1754. The last transponder reply was at 1757, which indicated the airplane was at 5,100 feet MSL. That transponder reply showed the airplane was located to the south and east of the intersection of Route 60 and Town Road 137. A witness was driving in her car eastbound on Route 60 and was approaching Town Road 117. This intersection was about three miles west of the accident site. She indicated that she was driving about 45 to 50 mph. It was dark at the time and "spit" rain was coming down. She said that she could see through the car's windshield. She stated that above woods just south of Route 60, she saw a light coming down slowly. She described it as a comet. The descent angle she physically gestured was about 35 to 45 degrees downward in the direction of the accident site. She said she saw the descending light for about two seconds. She subsequently saw an explosion, which was orange in color. Another witness was in a house about a third of a mile northwest of the accident site. She indicated that a heavy wind or tornado sound is what got her attention. She also heard a sound she vocally described as "NEEEEER." She saw a reflection of light in a mirror. An explosion occurred when the NEEEEER sound stopped. She said that the conditions at that time were windy, dark, and rainy. The 59-year-old pilot held a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) private pilot certificate with an airplane single-engine land and instrument ratings. He had been issued a FAA third-class medical certificate on October 15, 2014, with a limitation that he must have available glasses for near vision. The pilot reported on the application for that medical certificate that he had accumulated 987 hours of total flight time and 150 hours of flight time in the six months prior to that application. The last entry in the pilot's logbook was dated November 5, 2014. The pilot recorded that he had accumulated 1,000.3 hours of total flight time, 151.5 hours of flight time during night conditions, 127.8 hours of flight time in SR22 airplanes, and 19.3 hours of flight time in actual instrument conditions. A certified flight instructor's endorsement in the pilot's logbook showed that the pilot received a flight review on August 16, 2014. N811CD, a 2001 model Cirrus Design Corporation SR22, serial number 0120, was a four-place single engine low-wing airplane powered by a six-cylinder, 310-horsepower, Teledyne Continental Motors model IO-550-N7B engine, with serial number 686224, that drove a three-bladed Hartzell constant speed propeller. At 1753, the recorded weather about 38 miles and 93 degrees from the accident site at FDY was: Wind 260 degrees at 10 knots; visibility 3 statute miles; present weather mist; sky condition overcast clouds at 600 feet; temperature 7 degrees C; dew point 6 degrees C; altimeter 29.81 inches of mercury. The main sections of the airplane fuselage and empennage were found impacted and buried in soft terrain about 199 degrees and 907 feet from the intersection of Route 60 and Town Road 137. The airplane's resting heading was about 77 degrees. The airplane's airframe was found fragmented with its heavier components north of the main wreckage and its lighter components east of the main wreckage. The observed debris field of components extended about 124 feet north and about 187 feet east of the main wreckage. The propeller and propeller flange separated from its engine crankshaft and was found buried about four feet below the field. The propeller blades exhibited S-shaped bending and leading edge gouges. The engine was found deformed and buried about eight feet below the field. The no. five and no. six cylinders separated from their crankcase. Disassembly of the fuel pump showed its shear shaft separated in overload and it shaft was bent. The pump's vanes were intact and the pump rotated by hand freely about a quarter turn. The pump's mixture arm also rotated when moved by hand. Both magnetos sustained impact damage. One magneto produced spark when its impulse coupling was rotated by hand. Removed sparkplugs exhibited normal combustion discoloring and a "worn out, normal condition" when compared to a Champion Check-A-Plug chart. Accessible cylinders were inspected using a lighted borescope and no preimpact anomalies were detected during the borescope inspection. Disassembly of the oil pump revealed no debris or preimpact anomalies. Disassembly of the fuel manifold revealed that its seal surface facing its screen and valve exhibited deterioration and its seal surface facing its spring did not exhibit deterioration. Disassembly of the attitude indicator revealed rotational scoring on its rotor and cage. The rocket motor and parachute were found within subsurface empennage and fuselage fragments in the main wreckage area. The rocket motor was found with its propellant expended and it exhibited discoloration consistent with thermal damage. The parachute was found in a packed state and it exhibited deformation and discoloration consistent with thermal damage. Flight control cable and engine cable continuity was not established due to fragmentation and thermal damage. Airframe components in the debris field exhibited localized discoloration and charring consistent with a post-impact ground fire. Both navigation light covers were found and green glass fragments were found under the navigation light cover on the south side of the main wreckage. The engine cowling was fragmented and it exhibited a crush line consistent with a right wing low impact. Both left and right ailerons and flaps were found resting on the ground in the debris field to the north of the main wreckage. The empennage to include the lower section of the rudder was found discolored and deformed consistent with thermal damage. The empennage was found under charred sections of the fuselage at the southwest side of the main wreckage. The upper section of the rudder was found resting on the ground in the debris to the north of the main wreckage. Separation surfaces on the upper and lower sections exhibited consistent sized and shaped tears and separations. The upper rudder section did not exhibit the same dark discoloration as the lower section did. The Paulding County Coroner was asked to perform an autopsy on the pilots and take toxicological samples for testing at the FAA Civil Aerospace Medical Institute. The main wreckage exhibited charring, deformation, and discoloration consistent with a ground fire. Separated airframe components in the debris field exhibited localized discoloration and charring consistent with a post-impact ground fire. A witness reported the sound of an explosion consistent with a ground impact explosion.

Not Yet Reported