NTSB Factual Report

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On February 4, 2006, at 1600 eastern standard time, a Cirrus SR-22, N667WP, registered to Aircraft Guaranty Management & Trust, LLC, was destroyed when it impacted the Atlantic Ocean shortly after taking off from Witham Field (SUA), Stuart, Florida. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was being conducted under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91, and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan had been filed. The two instrument-rated private pilots and a passenger on board the airplane were fatally injured. The flight originated at 1556, and was en route to St. Augustine (SGJ), Florida.

N667WP took off from runway 12 at 1556. Palm Beach Approach Control tried to contact the airplane, but received no response. At that time, the airplane appeared on radar to be in a turn. At 1559, radio contact with the airplane was established and a female voice advised that they were having trouble with their instruments. At that time, its encoded altitude was 2,400 feet msl (above mean sea level). At 1600, the female voice requested, and the controller cleared the flight, to return to the airport. There was no acknowledgement. The last radar contact was at 1600:23 when the airplane was 3 miles north of the airport at a location of 027degrees, 12'16.15" north latitude, and 080 degrees, 08'00.32" west longitude, and at an altitude of 1,900 feet msl.

At 1603, American Airlines flight 2437 advised approach control that they were receiving ELT (emergency locator transmitter) signals. At 1630, airplane debris was located 5 miles east of the airport. The wreckage was found in water 60 feet deep and on a magnetic heading of 031 degrees.

PERSONNEL (CREW) INFORMATION

There were two pilots and a pilot-rated passenger aboard the airplane. The filed flight plan indicated the first pilot was the pilot-in-command.

The first pilot, age 67, held a private pilot certificate, dated May 19, 1996, with airplane single engine land and instrument ratings. He also held a third class airman medical certificate, dated July 29, 2005, with the restriction, "Holder shall possess corrective lenses for near vision while exercising the privileges of this airman certificate." When he made application for this medical certificate, he estimated his total flight time to be 648.2 hours, 32.2 hours within the last 6 months, and no less than 293.4 hours in the Cirrus SR-22. The pilot had participated in FAA's Wings Program and has been issued Phase 6 on January 25, 2005.

The second pilot, the pilot's wife, age 52, held a private pilot certificate, dated May 19, 1996, with airplane single engine land and instrument ratings. She also held a third class airman medical certificate, dated July 29, 2005, with the restriction, "Holder shall possess corrective lenses for near vision while exercising the privileges of this airman certificate. When she made application for this medical certificate, she estimated his total flight time to be 640.7 hours, 22.2 hours within the last 6 months, and no less than 63 hours in the Cirrus SR-22. According to FAA records, the pilot failed her instrument rating practical test on January 9, 2001. Two days later, she successfully passed the flight test. She also had participated in FAA's Wings Program, and has been issued Phase 6 on January 25, 2004.

AIRCRAFT INFORMATION

N667WP, a model SR-022 (s.n. 0341), was manufactured by the Cirrus Design Corporation in October 2002. It was powered by a Teledyne Continental IO-550-N7 engine (s.n. 686391), rated at 300 horsepower, driving a Hartzell PHC-J3YF-1RF propeller (s.n. FP1925B).

According to the airplane's maintenance records, the last recorded annual inspection was accomplished on November 5, 2005. A pre-purchase annual inspection was completed on November 29, 2005, at which time the cylinders were borescoped and a compression check was performed. At that time, the airframe and engine had accrued 486.9 hours. The last bench check of the pitot-static system, including the altimeter, transponder, and encoder, was on November 4, 2004. The emergency locator transmitter (ELT) was installed in the airplane on September 2002. The ELT battery was due to expire in March 2008.

METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION

The following special weather observation was recorded at 1547 at Witham Field (SUA), Stuart, Florida: Wind, 220 degrees true at 11 knots, gusting to 14 knots; surface visibility, 4 statute miles, rain; sky condition, 900 feet overcast; temperature 18 degrees Celsius (C.); dew point, 17 degrees C.; altimeter setting, 29.80 inches of Mercury.

AIDS TO NAVIGATION

There were no reported difficulties with aids to navigation.

COMMUNICATIONS

There were no reported communications difficulties.

FLIGHT RECORDERS

The airplane was not equipped with a cockpit voice recorder or flight data recorder, nor were they required. However, the airplane was equipped with an avionics package that included an Avidyne EX-5000 Multi-Function Display (MFD) with memory card.

WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION

The last recorded radar contact with the airplane was at 1600:28 at a location of 27 degrees, 20.92' north latitude and 080 degrees, 13.55' west longitude. Side scanning sonar located the wreckage 3,750 feet north-northeast of the last radar contact. Water depth was 60 feet. The fuselage, engine, and propeller were in close proximity to each other. The wreckage was aligned on a magnetic heading of 031 degrees.

MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION

The second pilot was recovered on February 14, and the first pilot and passenger were recovered on February 17, 2006. Autopsies of the three occupants were performed by the Medical Examiner-Department 19, representing St. Lucie, Martin, Indian River, and Okeechobee Counties. According to their reports, death in all three cases was attributed extensive blunt trauma. Toxicological screenings were negative for drugs and alcohol.

TESTS AND RESEARCH

The wreckage was recovered from the ocean and examined on March 3, 2006, at St. Lucie County International Airport.

The Avidyne EX-5000 MFD was recovered and sent to the manufacturer for data retrieval. According to Avidyne's report, the unit "had been exposed to a violent shock. Damage to the memory device was beyond Avidyne's capabilities to extract data."

The engine was disassembled and examined on March 3, 2006, at Opa-Locka Airport, Opa-Locka, Florida. No anomalies that would have precluded rated power production were found.

According to the BRS summary report, the CAPS system fired "sometime during initial break up of the airframe when it impacted the water. The rocket motor likely fired when the activation cable broke which put the needed pressure on the igniter spring. The resistance of the water kept the parachute and rocket close to and suspended to the airframe."

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

In addition to the Federal Aviation Administration, parties to the investigation included Cirrus Design Corporation, Teledyne Continental Motors, and BRS.

The aircraft wreckage was released to Aircraft Guaranty Management & Trust, Houston, Texas, and the Avidyne instrumentation was released to CTC Services LAD Aviation, Inc., Orlando. Florida, on March 29, 2006.

NTSB Probable Cause

The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control, which resulted in an uncontrolled descent and impact with the water. Contributing to the accident were a reported instrument failure, pilot disorientation, and instrument meteorological conditions. A factor in the severity of the impact was the pilot's failure to deploy the airplane's onboard parachute system.