A few weeks ago, I was returning to base after completing required spin training for a CFI candidate. As we were approaching Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport in San Diego, we checked in with the weather and our runway request. It was a typical busy afternoon at the airport, with a lot of training and weekend flying operations. A Cirrus SR20 was on final. The pilot announced he was having trim issues, and that his trim had activated by itself. As it approached the runway, witnesses observed pitch oscillations. Less than 20 seconds after the pilot’s trim-difficulty radio transmission, the Cirrus crashed near the departure end of the runway. The aircraft broke up on impact and the pilot received fatal injuries.
The NTSB is investigating, of course, and it will take some time for all the details to emerge. It is not clear at this point whether or what role the Cirrus’ trim and related automatic flight control systems (AFCS) had in the crash. Still, there have been many accidents and incidents where electric trim or autopilot systems contributed to an event. So it’s worthwhile to review what we can learn.
