The Australian Transport Safety Bureau has said that the pilot in command of an SR22 that crashed near Katoomba was forced to fire the parachute after a stall demonstration went wrong.
Cirrus SR22 N802DK hit the ground under the parachute in May last year near Katoomba, NSW, breaking off the tail. There were no injuries to the three people in the aircraft.
According to the ATSB report released today, the aircraft was being used in a sales demonstration flight with the Cirrus salesperson acting as pilot in command from the right seat, and the customer, a PPL, in the left seat.
The ATSB report gives an account of the moments before the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS) was fired.
"The PIC then took control of the aircraft and stated ‘watch this’. He selected 50% flap, rolled the aircraft into a left turn at about 25° angle of bank, reduced the power to idle, and raised the nose of the aircraft. The passenger in the front seat queried the use of flap and the PIC confirmed it was intended.
"As the aircraft approached the stall, the PIC pointed to the vertical speed indicator. As he did this, the right wing dropped rapidly and the aircraft entered a spin to the right. The PIC reported that at this time he performed his normal recovery procedure from this manoeuvre: maintained a neutral aileron control position, applied forward pressure on the control stick to pitch the aircraft nose down, rudders neutral and applied power. He reported that he moved the throttle lever forwards to increase power however there was a distinct hesitation in the engine response.
"The passenger in the front seat reported that on about the third rotation of the spin, the PIC said ‘I’m sorry’, and he realised that the PIC had lost control of the aircraft. The passenger in the front [left] seat reported that he applied full left rudder in an attempt to counter the rotation.
"As the rate of rotation to the right slowed, the passenger in the front seat felt the PIC apply right rudder, and the aircraft again accelerated rotating to the right. When about 2000 ft above ground level, the PIC was unsure whether he then had enough height remaining to recover control of the aircraft, and elected to deploy the parachute."
According to the Cirrus Pilots' Operating Handbook for the SR22, the type has not been tested for spins or certified for spin recovery, and that the only approved course of action in a spin is to fire the CAPS.
The ATSB has cautioned pilots to be aware of the handling limits of the aircraft they are flying.
The full report is on the ATSB website.