Pilot Told Friends He Intended To Get Instrument Rating, But Never Did

The Indianapolis suburb of Marion, IN, is mourning four people lost in the crash Saturday of a Cirrus SR20 in Crystal Lake, IL. Conditions at the time of the accident were described as cloudy and rainy. Friends of the pilot tell WTHR-TV that businessman Ray Harris, who'd been flying for six-eight years and a member of the Marion Pilot's Club for about two, had said for a long time he meant to get his instrument rating, but just never got around to it.

The SR20 was a 2000 model (similar aircraft pictured) owned by the club, and Secretary/Treasurer Ray Carmin says it had a well-equipped panel. he adds, "I'm reasonably sure the aircraft was in 100 percent working condition."

Harris is said to have been taking his 21-year-old daughter, Ramie, back to Wheaton College in Illinois after Thanksgiving. The other two occupants of the plane have been identified as another, younger Harris daughter, Shey, and a friend, 22-year-old Chris Backus of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, who was a student at Indiana Wesleyan University.

The NTSB will investigate. Harris was reportedly in contact with Chicago-area ATC before deploying the SR20's BRS parachute.

----------------------------------------------------------

IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 223CD        Make/Model: SR20      Description: SR-20
  Date: 11/26/2011     Time: 1630

  Event Type: Accident   Highest Injury: Fatal     Mid Air: N    Missing: N
  Damage: Destroyed

LOCATION
  City: CRYSTAL LAKE   State: IL   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
  AIRCRAFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES, THE 4 PERSONS ON BOARD WERE
  FATALLY INJURED, NEAR CRYSTAL LAKE, IL

INJURY DATA      Total Fatal:   4
                 # Crew:   1     Fat:   1     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Pass:   3     Fat:   3     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Grnd:         Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   

WEATHER: 9OVC 13/4SM -RA BR 17011KTS A2986

OTHER DATA
  Activity: Unknown      Phase: Unknown      Operation: OTHER

  FAA FSDO: WEST CHICAGO, IL  (GL03)              Entry date: 11/28/2011

FMI: http://cirrusaircraft.com/sr20/