Overview
- The Cirrus SR22T crashed on Sept. 18 near Macon County Airport in Franklin, North Carolina, killing Brett James and two family members.
- According to the NTSB, the pilot requested a visual approach to runway 7 and radioed at 6,800 feet that he would perform a 360-degree turn to land, with no further transmissions recorded.
- ADS-B data and surveillance video show the airplane flew over the runway, entered a descending left turn, then a tightening spiral, and impacted a field about a quarter-mile from the airfield.
- Witnesses reported the aircraft at low altitude near a school playground, rocking side to side before rolling inverted and descending behind trees.
- The preliminary examination noted flight control continuity and no indications of engine failure; the aircraft has been recovered and the investigation remains ongoing.