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Crash During Turn Maneuver in Manhattan
Manhattan, New York City - a Cirrus Design SR20, N929CD, operated as a personal flight, crashed into an apartment building in Manhattan, New York City, while attempting to maneuver above the East River. The two pilots on board the airplane, a certificated private pilot who was the owner of the airplane and a passenger who was a certificated commercial pilot with a flight instructor certificate, were killed. One person on the ground sustained serious injuries, two people on the ground sustained minor injuries, and the airplane was destroyed by impact forces and postcrash fire.
According to the pilot/owner’s logbook at the time of the accident, he had accumulated 87.8 hours total flight time, all of which were accumulated in the last 12 months, including 12.5 hours in Cirrus aircraft, 3.9 hours of which were as pilot-in-command (PIC). In the last 90 days, 30 days, and 24 hours before the accident flight, he flew 13.7, 0, and 0 hours, respectively.
The pilot/owner’s logbook indicated that he received three instructional flights in a Cirrus SR22 8. His first flight in the accident airplane was on July 20, 2006, and there was a flight instructor with him on that flight. The pilot/owner had flown with six different flight instructors since receiving his private pilot’s certificate and had received a total of 11.5 hours of flight instruction in Cirrus aircraft. Most of his flight time was conducted in California, and there was no record that he had previously flown in the New York East River class B exclusion airspace.
The airplane impacted the 32nd and the 33rd floors of the north face of an apartment building located at 524 East 72nd Street. The engine, propeller, the right portion of the engine mount, and the nose landing gear strut were found in an apartment on the 32nd floor. The engine was found inverted with the propeller separated. The engine and propeller exhibited thermal damage and were coated with ash, debris, and fire-extinguishing agent.
The majority of the wreckage was on the street level at East 72nd Street, directly below the impact point. The wreckage was destroyed by impact forces and postcrash fire. Some wreckage debris was found on adjacent rooftops, balconies, and building projections. The examination of the wreckage indicated that there was no sign of an in-flight fire or any preexisting damage to the airplane.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of this accident was the pilots’ inadequate planning, judgment, and airmanship in the performance of a 180º turn maneuver inside of a limited turning space.
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