April 27, 2012, Anderson, S.C., Cirrus SR22

The airplane was substantially damaged at about 1300 Eastern time when it impacted terrain shortly after takeoff. The private pilot/owner was fatally injured. Visual conditions prevailed. The pilot was practicing takeoffs and landings as his flight instructor watched. During the second circuit, the flight instructor observed the airplane’s landing light on final approach to the runway. The airplane appeared to land normally, touching down within the first 10 to 15 percent of the runway.

Editorial Staff

Thursday, May 31, 2012 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

A private pilot was fatally injured and their airplane substantially damaged when it crashed shortly after takeoff during practice takeoffs and landings.
After an observed normal landing, the airplane initiated an unusually steep climb (approximately 40 degrees) before the left wing dropped, leading to a sudden nose-down descent and impact.

See a mistake? Contact us.

The airplane was substantially damaged at about 1300 Eastern time when it impacted terrain shortly after takeoff. The private pilot/owner was fatally injured. Visual conditions prevailed.

The pilot was practicing takeoffs and landings as his flight instructor watched. During the second circuit, the flight instructor observed the airplane’s landing light on final approach to the runway. The airplane appeared to land normally, touching down within the first 10 to 15 percent of the runway. The flight instructor then noticed the airplane climbing at an angle of about 40 degrees. The airplane climbed in that attitude until the left wing suddenly dropped and the airplane descended in a steep, nose-down attitude until he lost sight of it.