Cirrus Crash Third In Five Weeks
A Cirrus SR20 crashed November 3 on relatively flat terrain in a wildlife refuge near Las Vegas, N.M., killing Ralph Steenson, the aircraft’s non-instrument-rated private pilot and sole occupant.
A Cirrus SR20 crashed November 3 on relatively flat terrainin a wildlife refuge near Las Vegas, N.M., killing Ralph Steenson, theaircraft's non-instrument-rated private pilot and sole occupant. Local METAR observations reported a 500-footceiling, and initial police teletype reports noted heavy fog and mist at thecrash site. There were no witnesses. Lt. Tom Meserve, state police, Las Vegas,N.M., told AVweb, "I've been toother crashes ... this guy didn't spiral in. He glanced off the ground and thenthe thing started cart-wheeling." He also said the debris field was morethan 800 feet long and 300 feet wide. Bill King, Cirrus vice president ofbusiness administration, told AVweb thatSteenson, 75, had taken Cirrus' training / transition course. Steenson'sdaughter Brenda told The Forum that her father began flying in the early 1950s.The FAA's airman database lists Steenson's private pilot certificate date ofissuance as 01/29/2001. Steenson's daughter said "... he called midwaythrough the flight. He said it was a beautiful day and a great day." Theaccident is the third within the past five weeks for Cirrus models. October3,a pilot used the aircraft's parachute after an aileron became partiallydetached and on October 15 a Cirrus hit a deer.