Cirrus Aircraft Engineer Killed in Accident

The death of David Rathbun, the chief engineer for the Cirrus SF50 jet program, is "a profound loss for the Cirrus family," the company said.

Amelia Walsh

Tuesday, February 28, 2023 at 01:33 PM ET

Verified

Rathbun was killed when the Cirrus SR22, similar to the aircraft shown here, that he was flying went down in West Duluth, Minnesota on February 24. [Courtesy: Cirrus Aviation]

Key Takeaways:

David Rathbun, chief engineer for the Cirrus SF50 jet program, died on February 24 when his Cirrus SR22 crashed into the St. Louis River near Duluth, Minnesota, shortly after takeoff.
Rathbun was a pivotal figure at Cirrus Aircraft for 26 years, instrumental in the development and certification of the SR20, SR22, and the award-winning SF50 Vision Jet.
The accident is currently under investigation by the FAA and NTSB. While there were recent issues with Continental engines leading to FAA directives and Cirrus groundings, Rathbun's specific aircraft was not impacted by these.

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Chief engineer for the Cirrus SF50 jet program, David Rathbun, died February 24 when his Cirrus SR22 went down in the St. Louis River near Grassy Point in West Duluth, Minnesota.

According to reports, the accident occurred around 4 p.m., shortly after Rathbun took off from the Duluth International Airport (KDLH). Preliminary data from Flightaware.com shows the 2016 SR22 registered as N929DR reached a speed of 181 knots and an altitude of 2,975 feet. The last known contact was made at just over 1,000 feet and showed the aircraft at 128 knots. Weather at the time of the accident was reported as VFR.