ANN REALTIME UPDATE
10.26.06 1615 EDT: Authorities at the scene confirm they
have recovered four bodies in the wreckage of a Cirrus SR22 that
went down Wednesday afternoon in western Arizona, shortly after the
plane's pilot told ATC the plane had encountered ice.
"The pilot was trying to detour around some bad weather but
apparently got caught up in it," FAA spokeman Ian Gregor said.
Contrary to earlier reports stating three people were lost in
the accident, Mohave County Sheriff Tom Sheahan told the Associated
Press search and rescue crews who reached the wreckage Thursday
morning found four bodies -- one man, one woman and two
children.
There remains some question in the general media regarding
deployment of the plane's ballistic recovery parachute, with some
sources reporting the parachute is visible in the wreckage.
Photos from the scene appear to show a canopy within the
wreckage, but it does not appear the parachute was extended
fully... possibly indicating the 'chute was deployed as a result of
accident forces, and not pilot action.
Original Report
In what appears to be one of the first icing accidents of
the season, three persons were lost when their Cirrus SR22 (file
photo of type, below) went down approximately 80 miles east of Las
Vegas, NV Wednesday afternoon.
FAA spokesman Ian Gregor said the plane was flying at 13,000
feet when the pilot told ATC the plane was picking up heavy ice.
The Cirrus went down at approximately 12:11 pm.
Search crews from Mojave County, AZ located the wreckage less
than two hours later. Industry sources tell ANN the aircraft's
ballistic parachute was not deployed.
The identities of the three persons onboard have not been
released.
Authorities believe the plane, owned by a New Orleans-based
company, left San Francisco bound for either the Grand Canyon or
Phoenix.
IDENTIFICATION
Regis#: 121LD
Make/Model: SR22 Description:
SR-22
Date: 10/25/2006 Time: 1911
Event Type: Accident Highest Injury:
Fatal Mid Air: N Missing:
N
Damage: Destroyed
LOCATION
City: BOULDER CITY State: NV
Country: US
DESCRIPTION
ACFT CRASHED AFTER DECLARING AN EMERGENCY WITH REPORTED
ICING CONDITIONS,
THE THREE PERSONS ON BOARD WERE FATALLY INJURED, 53 MILES
FROM BOULDER
CITY, NV
INJURY DATA Total
Fatal: 3
# Crew: 1 Fat:
1 Ser:
0 Min:
0 Unk:
# Pass: 2 Fat:
2 Ser:
0 Min:
0 Unk:
# Grnd:
Fat: 0 Ser:
0 Min:
0 Unk:
OTHER DATA
Activity: Unknown Phase:
Unknown Operation: OTHER
Departed:
Dep Date: Dep.
Time:
Destination:
Flt Plan: IFR
Wx Briefing:
Last Radio Cont:
Last Clearance:
FAA FSDO: LAS VEGAS, NV
(WP19)
Entry date: 10/26/2006