CEN25LA404

NTSB accident investigation · Cirrus SR20 · Watertown, WI · September 30, 2025

Accident · No injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal report
Date
September 30, 2025, 09:03 local (14:03 UTC)
Place
Watertown, WI
Injuries
2 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N814Cirrus SR20
Defining event
Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report January 15, 2026
Report
Approved by Office Director
Investigation class
Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
NTSB office
Central Region
Parties
Federal Aviation Administration - Milwaukee FSDO
FAA report
20250930016169A
Case key
201758

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 flight instructor’s failure to maintain control of the airplane following the student pilot’s bounced landing. Contributing to the accident was the flight instructor’s delayed remedial action which resulted in diminished airplane performance during the go-around.

Findings · 5

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.

Performance/control parameters: pitch controlAircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintainedCirrus Design SR20: 6 casesAll aircraft: 526 casesProbable cause
Performance/control parameters: lateral/bank controlAircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintainedCirrus Design SR20: 5 casesAll aircraft: 390 casesProbable cause
Performance/control parameters: yaw controlAircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintainedCirrus Design SR20: 4 casesAll aircraft: 149 casesProbable cause
Action: delayed actionPersonnel issues › Action/decision · Instructor/check pilotCirrus Design SR20: 15 casesAll aircraft: 894 casesProbable cause
Use of equip/info: aircraft controlPersonnel issues › Task performance · Instructor/check pilotCirrus Design SR20: 47 casesAll aircraft: 9,295 casesProbable cause

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 flight instructor and student pilot were conducting a primary instruction flight. The flight instructor reported that the surface wind was calm as they approached the airport to land. The flight instructor stated that the student pilot allowed the airplane to be “slightly high and fast” while on short final approach, but the airplane then joined a normal descent path as it continued toward the runway. The flight instructor estimated that the airplane was 5-10 knots faster than a normal landing speed as it flew over the runway identification numbers. At that point, the flight instructor told the student to reduce engine power to idle, transition his sight picture down the runway, and allow the airplane to decelerate during the landing flare. The airplane bounced upon touchdown, ballooned, descended, and then bounced a second time before the flight instructor took control of the airplane from the student pilot. The flight instructor then increased engine power, increased right rudder input, and pitched for a level attitude to increase airspeed for a go-around. The airplane did not accelerate and bounced for a third time, this time with the stall warning horn audible. The flight instructor reduced the wing flaps from 100% to 50% to gain additional airspeed while flying in ground effect, but she noted that the airplane had ineffective roll and yaw control. She reduced engine power to idle as the airplane drifted left, struck a runway edge light, and departed off the left side of the runway. The airplane then entered an area of high vegetation where it spun around to a stop. The airplane’s aft fuselage sustained substantial damage during the accident. The flight instructor did not report any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane.

Aircraft

Registration
N814
Reported as
Cirrus SR20
Category
Airplane
Serial number
1281
Built
2003
Airframe hours
2,792.4
Engine
Continental IO-360-ES, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Instructional · Part 91
Operator
Wisconsin Aviation - Four Lakes Inc., doing business as Wisconsin Aviation
Registered owner
Wisconsin Aviation - Four Lakes Inc.
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
100 hour · September 22, 2025 · 2 hours before
Departed
RYV · Watertown, WI
Destination
RYV · Watertown, WI
Airport
RYV · Watertown Municipal Airport, runway 23, 4,429 × 75 ft, asphalt
Equipment
Auto-pilot, Airframe parachute, ADS-B, Stall warning system, Electronic multifunction display

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 · 2

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

Role
Flight instructor
Age
44
Injuries
None
Certificates
Flight instructor, Commercial
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
Last flight review
July 11, 2024
Seat
Right
Restraint
4-point
Flight hours
599 total · 9 in this make and model · 436 as pilot in command · 41 in the last 90 days · 23 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Role
Student pilot
Age
43
Injuries
None
Certificate
Student
Medical
Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
Seat
Left
Restraint
4-point
Flight hours
10 total · 6 in this make and model · 6 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
Calm
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
64 °F, dew point 64 °F
Altimeter
30.25 inHg
Observed at
KRYV
METAR
METAR KRYV 301355Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 18/18 A3025 RMK AO2 T01800178

Docket · 2

The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 15, 2026, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 6.6 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.