CIRRUS DESIGN CORP SR22

Cedar Key, FL — May 28, 2018

Event Information

DateMay 28, 2018
Event TypeACC
NTSB NumberGAA18CA308
Event ID20180529X73931
LocationCedar Key, FL
CountryUSA
Coordinates29.13417, -83.05055
AirportGEORGE T LEWIS
Highest InjuryNONE

Aircraft

MakeCIRRUS DESIGN CORP
ModelSR22
CategoryAIR
FAR Part091
Aircraft DamageSUBS

Conditions

Light ConditionDAYL
WeatherVMC

Injuries

Fatal0
Serious0
Minor0
None2
Total Injured0

Event Location

Probable Cause

The airplane’s collision with multiple birds during initial climb, which damaged the propeller and resulted in a subsequent aerodynamic stall because the airspeed could not be maintained.

Full Narrative

According to the pilot, during takeoff initial climb, about 90ft AGL, the airplane flew through a flock of canary size birds.

He reported that after the bird strikes, the airplane continued to climb, but the "prop then became unbalanced causing a violent vibration," followed by a steep left bank and then a right bank.

He recalled that the airspeed decreased, and the stall warning horn sounded, and about five seconds later the airplane impacted a body of water adjacent to the airport in a 60° left bank.

Photographs provided by Federal Aviation Administration, Aviation Safety Inspectors showed that the airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage.

The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

About This NTSB Record

This aviation event was investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). NTSB investigates all U.S. civil aviation accidents to determine probable cause and issue safety recommendations to prevent future accidents.

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