# Accident 20251001015209A: Cirrus Design Corp SR20, Portage, WI, October 1, 2025 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: October 1, 2025, 10:30 local time - Place: Portage, WI - Airport: Portage Municipal - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 43.5603° N, 89.4829° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=43.5603&lon=-89.4829&mi=10 - Aircraft: N78RC, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N78RC) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Cirrus Design SR20 (registry code 2130000, https://openairdocs.org/model/cirrus-design-sr20) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Continental IO-360 series (registry code 17025, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-io-360-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CIRRUS DESIGN CORP SR20 - Reported engine: CONT MOTOR IO-360 SER - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Other injuries: 0 - Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor, private pilot, student - Pilot flight hours: 1,970 total, 418 in this make and model, 191 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB CEN26LA011](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN26LA011) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20251001015209A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR (CFI) WAS OVERSEEING A TRAINING FLIGHT WITH A STUDENT WHO WAS HAVING ISSUES WITH PATTERN ENTRIES, WHICH LED THEM TO PRACTICE AT C47 (PORTAGE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT). THEY WERE FOCUSING ON SHORT FIELD OPERATIONS, USING RUNWAY 18 DUE TO THE WIND CONDITIONS AT WISCONSIN DELLS BEING AT 130 DEGREES. DURING THE APPROACH, THE AIRCRAFT WAS INITIALLY AT 80 KNOTS, WHICH WAS HIGHER THAN THE TYPICAL SHORT FIELD APPROACH SPEED OF 70-75 KNOTS. ON SHORT FINAL, THE STUDENT REDUCED SPEED TO JUST ABOVE 70 KNOTS. THE CFI NOTICED THE NOSE PITCHING UP AND THE AIRSPEED DECREASING, WHICH CAN LEAD TO A POTENTIAL STALL. AS THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO DROP, BOTH THE CFI AND THE STUDENT INITIATED A GO-AROUND PROCEDURE. THE CFI STATED IT DIDN’T FEEL LIKE A TAIL STRIKE, HE SAID HE’S NEVER EXPERIENCED ONE SO DIDN’T KNOW WHAT ONE FELT LIKE. THEY COMPLETED THAT PATTERN, SAID THE AIRCRAFT FLEW FINE, LANDED AND TAXIED TO THE FBO. THINKING HE HAD A HARD LANDING, HE STATED HE GOT OUT OF THE AIRCRAFT TO LOOK FOR ANY DAMAGE TO THE MAIN LANDING GEAR. HE SAID HE DIDN’T THINK IT WAS A HARD LANDING BUT THAT IT WAS A HARD ENOUGH LANDING AND HE HAD THE COMPANY’S PREVIOUS DAY ACCIDENT ON HIS MIND. STATED HE ONLY LOOKED AT THE MAINS FOR ANY DAMAGE. THEY COMPLETED THE PLANNED TRAINING EVOLUTION AT C47, THEN CONDUCTED LANDINGS AT DLL AND C35 BEFORE RETURNING TO MSN. ONCE SHUTDOWN AT MSN, THE CFI SAID HE NOTICED THE DAMAGE TO THE TAIL WHEN HE TRIED TO SECURE THE AIRCRAFT AND NOTICED THERE WASN’T A TAIL TIE DOWN ANYMORE AND SAW THE DAMAGE TO THE UNDERSIDE OF THE MOST AFT PORTION OF THE TAIL. HE STATED HE THEN CONTACTED MAINTENANCE. DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT CONSISTED OF 18’ OF DAMAGE TO THE LOWER COMPOSITE FUSELAGE JUST FORWARD OF THE RUDDER. THE TAIL TIE DOWN WAS DRIVEN AFT, DAMAGING THE VERTICAL SPAR 10“ OR SO UP FROM THE BASE OF THE SPAR. THE COMPOSITE FAIRING ON THE LOWER RUDDER WAS SEVERELY DAMAGED. NO OTHER SKIN DAMAGE WAS NOTED ON THE RUDDER, HORIZONTAL STAB, OR ELEVATORS; THE RUDDER AND VERTICAL STAB HINGE POINTS WERE DAMAGED BENT SLIGHTLY UPWARD. ACCORDING TO THE MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENT NO OTHER DAMAGE WAS NOTED ON THE AIRCRAFT. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB CEN26LA011](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN26LA011), Oct 1, 2025: Cirrus Design SR20 (N78RC), Portage, WI, substantial damage. Probable cause: The student pilot’s failure to maintain proper airspeed and attitude for a short field landing. Contributing to the accident was the flight instructor’s delayed remedial action. ## Other reports on N78RC (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 20240610010379I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20240610010379I), Jun 10, 2024: Cirrus Design Corp SR20 (N78RC), Madison, WI, Minor damage. 1St attempted landing Cirrus SR20 aircraft on runway 36 at kmsn developed into hard landing and go-around. Subsequent landing ended with the aircraft veering… From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.