WPR26LA126 · Cirrus Design Corp SR20

The pilot reported that, while en route on a cross-country flight operating under instrument flight rules (IFR) at 11,000 ft mean sea level (msl), she was cleared by air traffic control (ATC) to deviate from her planned route as necessary to remain clear of developing clouds. She continued to monitor weather conditions via the multifunction display (MFD) and was aware of light to moderate precipitation developing along the route; however, she elected to continue the flight. Shortly thereafter, the controller cleared the pilot to climb to 12,000 ft msl to maintain cloud clearance. During the climb, the airplane encountered instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), which included moderate precipitation, and the pilot began to observe indications of airframe icing. Concerned about potential degradation in aircraft performance, she requested a descent to a lower altitude while continuing along the planned route of flight. During the descent, an airspeed annunciation activated, prompting the pilot to disengage the autopilot and manually control the airplane. As the descent continued, rime ice rapidly accumulated on the airframe. Subsequently, both the stall warning horn and stick shaker activated. At approximately 9,500 ft msl, the controller issued a low-altitude alert and instructed the pilot to climb immediately. The pilot responded by pitching up to initiate a climb; however, the airplane experienced an aerodynamic stall. After having descended about 2,000 ft, the pilot activated the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS). The airplane descended under parachute and impacted terrain, resulting in substantial damage to the right elevator and rudder. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane. According to the airplane’s flight manual, “Flight into known icing conditions is prohibited.”

Verbatim NTSB analysis and probable cause from the NTSB dataset