Event LAX05LA210

Factual narrative

On June 18, 2005, about 1030 mountain standard time, a Cirrus SR-22, N626Z, collided with terrain during an attempted go-around near the Phoenix Regional Airport, Phoenix, Arizona. The pilot/owner was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The private pilot and one passenger were not injured; the airplane sustained substantial damage. The personal local flight departed Stellar Airpark, Chandler, Arizona, about 1015, en route to Casa Grande, Arizona. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. The pilot stated that he obtained a standard weather briefing. The airplane contained about 50 gallons of fuel. He departed Stellar Airpark for Casa Grande via the Stanfield VOR. They departed and cruised at 5,500 feet. They were over Phoenix Regional Airport, and he decided to do a practice emergency power out landing. He set up for left traffic to runway 21. The rpm was idling between 800-1,000. He was maintaining 85-88 knots air speed. He set the flaps to 50 percent. He was about 800 feet above ground level (agl). The airplane descended to about 500 feet (on both the altimeter and the terrain aware warning system (TAWS)). The pilot indicated that the airplane was heading about 210 degrees and passing 450 feet agl when he decided that he was too low to make the runway. He initiated a go-around. He added power, and did not bring the flaps up. He pulled the stick back, and established a pitch attitude. He thought that the engine responded, but the airplane was still descending. He turned left because there was a road that ran perpendicular to his flight path. The road had trees next to it. He was still descending, and touched down about 60 knots. The airplane impacted terrain about 50 yards from the airport. On a previous occasion, the pilot had done a go-around at Sedona. He raised the flaps on that go-around, and although he experienced a sink, it still zoomed up. He felt that even with full flaps the airplane would climb. The airplane was a Cirrus SR22, serial number 1150. An annual inspection was completed on December 7, 2004, at a total time of 102.3 hours. The engine was a Teledyne Continental Motors IO-550-N27B, serial number 917344; its installation date was October 15, 2004. Total time on the engine at the annual inspection was 102.3 hours. The hour meter read 351.7 at the accident scene. Investigators from the FAA, Cirrus, and Teledyne Continental Motors examined the wreckage at Air Transport, Phoenix, on June 21, 2005, under the supervision of the National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge. The airframe manufacturer's representative measured the flap actuator at 4 inches. He reported that this corresponded to the full up or 0-percent position. The flap position switch in the cockpit was set at 50 percent. The roll trim setting corresponded to full right trim. The pitch trim setting corresponded to full up trim. The representative established rudder and elevator control continuity between the control yoke and the control surfaces. He established aileron continuity on all surfaces up to where the cables were disconnected at the fuselage. All three propeller blades exhibited leading edge polishing and gouging, chordwise scratching, and were bent aft. Investigators removed the cowling, and the top spark plugs. They manually rotated the engine. All valves moved in sequence, the accessory gears turned freely, and they obtained thumb compression on all cylinders. They removed the damaged propeller, installed another one, and connected a fuel source in order to run the engine. The engine ran successfully through the range of power settings from idle up to 2,600 rpm. The engine ran for approximately 3 minutes. The airframe manufacturer's representative downloaded information from the Avidyne Engine Data Log. Time rpm manifold pressure (inches) fuel flow 1719:24 2,530 26.6 26.3 1721:36 2,480 25.9 21.5 1721:48 2,360 19.1 16.9 1725:48 2,380 18.1 17.0 1726:12 1,740 6.00 5.10 1726:36 1,130 7.60 1.90 1729:06 1,000 8.80 1.90 1729:18 2,020 21.4 19.2 From 1704:48 to 1729:18 (the first 13 minutes 16 seconds of flight), the rpm change was fairly constant rate, roughly 1,000 rpm corresponding with initial procedures before takeoff. From 1717:24 to 1725.48 (the next 8 minutes 24 seconds of flight), the rpm went from roughly 1,000 to between 2,400-2,600. For the next 2 minutes 22 seconds, the rpm dropped to an average of 1,400. During the next 1 minute 58 seconds, the rpm reduced to approximately 1,200. From 1729:12 to 1729:18 (the remaining 6 seconds of flight), the rpm accelerated to a maximum of 2,300 before the data stopped. The airplane impacted terrain about 50 yards from the runway during an attempted go-around from a practice power off forced landing. The airplane was in cruise at 5,500 feet when the pilot decided to do a practice emergency power off landing to an airport below him. He set up for left traffic to runway 21. The rpm was idling between 800-1,000 rpm and he was maintaining 85-88 knots air speed. He set the flaps to 50 percent about 800 feet above ground level (agl). The airplane was descending through 450 feet agl when he decided that he was too low to make the runway and he initiated a go-around. He added power, and did not bring the flaps up. He pulled the stick back and established a positive pitch up attitude. He thought that the engine responded, but the airplane was still descending and it impacted terrain about 50 yards from the airport. During a post accident examination, the engine ran successfully through the range of power settings from idle up to 2,600 rpm. The engine ran for approximately 3 minutes. Downloaded information from the Avidyne Engine Data Log indicated that during the last 6 seconds of recorded data, the rpm went from 1,200 to a maximum of 2,300, manifold pressure went from 8.8 to 21.4 inches, and fuel flow went from 1.9 to 19.2. The recorded data did not show any anomalies in power development for the flight. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12