CEN09FA267

The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the airplane while operating in instrument meteorological conditions due to spatial disorientation. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s inattention to basic aircraft control while attempting to program the autopilot system.

The instrument certified airplane climbed into instrument meteorological conditions about 30 seconds after takeoff. Radar track data showed that the airplane entered a right turn shortly after takeoff and entered the cloud base. The airplane remained in that right turn until it completed nearly 1-1/2 complete turns. The airplane rolled out and subsequently climbed 1,500 feet over next 17 seconds. The airspeed decreased to 50 knots and the airplane’s heading abruptly transitioned from the south to the north-northwest which could have represented an aerodynamic stall. The airplane then descended before beginning another climb. The airplane completed two additional descent and climb oscillations with minimum airspeeds of 60 knots and 50 knots, respectively. Maximum pitch angles of 50 degrees nose up and nose down, and bank angles of 75 degrees were recorded during the flight. The duration of the accident flight was approximately 4 minutes and 30 seconds. The airplane impacted a wooded area located about 3 miles from the departure airport and was destroyed by impact forces and a postimpact fire. An examination of the airframe and engine did not revealed preimpact anomalies. No flight display and/or autopilot system faults were recorded during the accident flight. Further review of the flight data did not reveal inconsistencies within the data itself. The data indicated that the pilot initially engaged the autopilot about 5 seconds after lifting off when the airplane was approximately 61 feet above ground level. The autopilot bugs were set to the assigned heading and initial altitude prior to takeoff. However, after takeoff the pilot failed to properly engage the autopilot altitude preselect mode; the altitude hold mode was entered instead. As a result, the altitude and vertical speed bug settings were reset automatically to maintain the airplane’s altitude. At that point, the airplane’s altitude was above that specified by the autopilot bug. Subsequent attempts to engage the vertical speed/altitude pre-select mode caused the system to begin a descent to intercept the inadvertent altitude set in the autopilot. About 1 minute into the flight, the pilot reset the altitude bug above the airplane’s current altitude at that time. The data suggests that the pilot never adequately regained control of the airplane. The pilot purchased the accident airplane about 7 months prior to the accident. He completed visual flight rules transition training at the time he took delivery of the airplane. The training did not include an instrument proficiency check. Prior to the transition training, the pilot reported a total flight time of 1,344 hours, which included 20 hours flight time and 4 hours instrument flight time within the one-year period preceding the training.

HISTORY OF FLIGHT On April 28, 2009, at 1615 eastern daylight time, a Cirrus SR22, N504MD, piloted by an instrument rated private pilot, was destroyed during a collision with trees and terrain near Mayfield Village, Ohio. The flight was being conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 on an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The pilot and sole passenger on-board sustained fatal injuries. The cross-country business flight departed Cuyahoga County Airport (CGF), Cleveland, Ohio, at 1612, with an intended destination of Buffalo Niagara International Airport (BUF), Buffalo, New York. The pilot and passenger flew from BUF to CGF earlier in the day, arriving at CGF about 1319. According to personnel working at the fixed base operator (FBO) at the time, the pilot and passenger attended a meeting at the airport and then left the airport for approximately 1 hour, before returning for the accident flight. The pilot requested that the airplane be fueled to capacity ("topped off") prior to departure and FBO personnel fueled the airplane with 40 gallons of aviation gasoline. The CGF air traffic control tower (ATCT) issued a takeoff clearance for the flight from Runway 6 at 1611, instructing the pilot to fly the runway heading and climb to 3,000 feet mean sea level (msl). The controller observed the airplane takeoff and enter the clouds. Takeoff and initial climb appeared to be normal. At 1612, the controller instructed the pilot to contact departure control. The pilot acknowledged the instruction; however, the pilot never established communications with the departure controller. At 1614, the pilot transmitted “were having trouble getting” on the CGF tower frequency. At 1615, the pilot transmitted “having trouble mike delta.” There were no subsequent transmissions from the pilot. At 1616, the departure controller relayed a low altitude alert in the blind to the accident flight. Flight track data recovered from the on-board avionics indicated that the airplane entered a right turn shortly after takeoff. It remained in that right turn until it completed nearly 1-1/2 complete turns; 540 degrees of heading change. The airplane subsequently rolled out on a south heading, and began to climb from 1,200 feet msl to 2,700 feet msl over the next 17 seconds. The airspeed decreased to 50 knots and the airplane’s heading transitioned from the south to the north-northwest. The airplane subsequently descended to about 1,600 feet msl before beginning another climb. Over the next 30 second time period, the altitude increased again to about 2,900 feet msl, and the airspeed decreased to about 60 knots. At this point, the airplane’s heading transitioned from the east-northeast to the west-northwest. The airplane subsequently entered a right turn ultimately reversing course. It then climbed approximately 1,300 feet, to a maximum altitude of 3,200 feet msl before descending again. The airspeed decreased to 50 knots during this time. The final data point was recorded at 1615:44. At that time, the airplane’s position was approximately 0.20 miles north of the accident site, at 2,000 feet msl. (Detailed information regarding the airplane’s flight attitude is included later in this report.) A witness located 1/4 to 1/2 mile from the accident site reported that he was outside and heard the airplane for about 1 minute. He noted that it “sounded like it was circling around and . . . doing tricks in the air.” However, he was unable to actually see the airplane. About 20 seconds after the sound faded he heard a “boom.” At the time he thought it might have been thunder but later realized it was likely the impact. A witness located in a nearby residential subdivision approximately one-tenth mile from the accident site, reported that the airplane flew over his car about 150 feet above ground level (agl). He stated that it banked to the left and dove toward the ground. He responded to the accident site; however, the airplane was engulfed in flames when he got there. The accident site was located approximately 3 miles east of CGF in a wooded area adjacent to a church. PERSONNEL INFORMATION The pilot, age 51, held a private pilot certificate with single-engine land, multi-engine land, and instrument airplane ratings. He was issued a third-class airman medical certificate on June 27, 2007, with a limitation for corrective lenses. On the application for that medical certificate, the pilot reported a total flight time of 1,350 hours, with 50 hours in the previous 6 months. The pilot’s logbook was not available to the NTSB. The pilot completed Cirrus Aircraft transition training at the time he took delivery of the accident airplane. Records indicated that the pilot completed visual flight rules (VFR) transition training from October 6, 2008 through October 8, 2008. The course consisted of 15.0 hours of flight time, 0.8 hours in a flight training device (simulator), 3.0 hours of ground instruction, and 5.0 of pre and post flight instruction. All of the course flight time was with a flight instructor (dual instruction). The pilot provided information to Cirrus regarding his flight experience prior to the transition training course. He noted that his most recent flight review was completed on March 23, 2007, and that his most recent instrument proficiency check was completed 10 months prior to the training. He reported a total flight time of 1,344 hours total flight time, with 1,280 hours as pilot-in-command, 1,250 hours in high performance/complex airplanes, and 400 hours instrument flight time. He reported 20 hours flight time within the one year period prior to the training, with 4 hours of instrument flight time. Within the 90-day period prior to the training course, he reported accumulating 5 hours total time, with no instrument flight time. He reported experience in Beech model 60 (Duke), Mooney, and Cessna 172 airplanes. AIRCRAFT INFORMATION The accident airplane was a 2007 Cirrus Design SR22, serial number 2695. It was a four place, low wing, fixed tricycle landing gear configuration; primarily of composite (fiberglass) construction. The airplane was powered by a 310-horsepower Teledyne Continental Motors IO-550-N50B engine, serial number 691346, and installed with a Hartzell PHC-J3YF-1N/N7605B propeller, serial number FP6011B. A normal category, standard airworthiness certificate was issued for the airplane on September 12, 2007. The accident pilot purchased the airplane on October 7, 2008. The maintenance log entry for the most recent annual inspection was dated the same day. The airplane had accumulated 224.1 hours at the time of last maintenance entry dated October 9, 2008. The logs did not contain a record of any unresolved maintenance issues. The minimum published power off stall speed for the accident airplane with the wing flaps retracted was 67 knots calibrated airspeed. This speed corresponded to a wings level (zero bank angle), maximum gross weight, and aft most center-of-gravity flight condition. METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION The closest weather reporting facility to the accident site was located at the departure airport. At 1545, weather conditions at CGF were recorded as: Wind 360 degrees at 8 knots; visibility 4 miles in light rain and mist; overcast clouds at 300 feet above ground level (agl), temperature 7 degrees C, dew point 6 degrees C, altimeter 30.38 inches of Hg. At 1616, wind 010 degrees at 8 knots; visibility 4 miles in light rain and mist; overcast clouds at 200 feet agl; temperature 7 degrees C; dew point 6 degrees C; altimeter 30.38 inches of Hg. At 1645, wind 010 degrees at 7 knots, visibility 4 miles in light rain and mist, overcast clouds at 300 feet agl, temperature 7 degrees C, dew point 6 degrees C, altimeter 30.40 inches of Hg. AIRPORT INFORMA