- Date
- August 25, 2012, 10:58 local (16:58 UTC)
- Place
- Watkins, CO
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N215VSCirrus Design SR20
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 5, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA Flight Standards District Office
- FAA report
- 20120825019509A
- Case key
- 84819
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot did not maintain control of the airplane while landing in gusty wind conditions.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot was conducting touch-and-go landings on runway 35. While on final approach for his third touch-and-go landing, the pilot felt a buffet and anticipated gusting wind conditions during the touchdown. About 200 feet above the ground, the stall warning horn sounded briefly and the airplane "dropped straight down." The airplane impacted the runway hard and bounced several times. The pilot added power in an attempt to go around; however, the airplane did not respond and impacted the runway again in a nose-low attitude. During the accident sequence the nose landing gear separated, the propeller was damaged, and the firewall wrinkled. Postaccident examination revealed no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot was conducting touch-and-go landings on runway 35. While on final approach for his third touch-and-go, the pilot felt a buffet and anticipated gusting wind conditions during the touchdown. Approximately 200 feet above the ground the stall warning horn sounded briefly and the airplane "dropped straight down." The airplane impacted the runway hard and bounced several times. The pilot added power in attempt to go around; however, the airplane did not respond and impacted the runway again in a nose low attitude. During the accident sequence the nose landing gear separated, the propeller was damaged, and the firewall wrinkled. The Federal Aviation Administration inspector who responded stated that there were no mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N215VS
- Reported as
- Cirrus Design SR20
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1334
- Airframe hours
- 962
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-ES6, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 8, 2012
- Departed
- KFTG · Watkins, CO
- Destination
- KFTG · Watkins, CO
- Airport
- KFTG · Front Range Airport, runway 35, 8,000 × 100 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 59
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 22, 2010
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 262 total · 92 in this make and model · 202 as pilot in command · 28 in the last 90 days · 14 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 68 °F, dew point 41 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.19 inHg
- Observed at
- KFTG
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 21, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.4 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.