# NTSB CEN26LA044: Cirrus Design SR20, N866CD, Chesterfield, MO, November 11, 2025

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · Minor injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Preliminary report
- Date: November 11, 2025, 17:50 local (23:50 UTC)
- Place: Chesterfield, MO · 38.649870°  -90.587078°
- Coordinates: 38.64987, -90.587078
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.6499&lon=-90.5871&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Approach](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/500) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Approach: Flight control sys malf/fail](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/333)
- Highest injury: Minor injuries
- Injuries: 2 minor
- Status: Investigation ongoing
- Investigation class: Class 3
- NTSB office: Central Region
- Parties: FAA
- NTSB case key (mKey): 201994
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN26LA044
- NTSB preliminary report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/201994/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN26LA044

## Preliminary report

On November 11, 2025, about 1750 central standard time, a Cirrus SR20, N866CD, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Chesterfield, Missouri. The pilot and copilot received minor injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot reported that during the night flight, they were on approach to the destination airport and continued to descend with the flaps set to 50%. He slowed the airplane below 100 knots indicated airspeed (KIAS) and extended the flaps to 100%. Shortly after, they heard a “bang” from the front of the airplane and the engine RPM increased. At the same time the airplane made an uncommanded right yaw and roll, and he was unable to maintain control of the airplane. As the airplane was in a steep right spiraling descent, he activated the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS), then retarded the throttle and mixture levers. The airplane descended under the canopy and impacted trees and terrain in a nose low attitude. The pilots egressed the airplane without further incident. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the airplane descended into a wooded area and the empennage separated during the accident sequence. The airplane remained suspended vertically by the parachute and harness. The propeller was embedded in the ground and the left wing was resting on the ground (see figure 1). Figure 1. Accident airplane where it came to rest (Source: FAA). The flaps were found in a fully retracted position, and the flap switch was positioned to 100%. The flap control system and associated hardware remained intact from the flap actuator to the control surfaces. The bottom of the airplane was mostly covered with engine oil and there was a large pool of engine oil in the engine cowling, but the engine did not exhibit evidence of a catastrophic failure. The airplane’s avionics were sent to the NTSB Vehicle Recorder Laboratory for data extraction. The airplane was retained to further examination.

## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Approach: Flight control sys malf/fail](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/333) (defining event); cases with it: [Cirrus Design SR20, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/333/sequence.md?model=2130000), [All aircraft, 410 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/333/sequence.md)

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N866CD](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N866CD), registered now, S/N 1235, built 2002 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CIRRUS DESIGN CORP SR20
- Registry model: [Cirrus Design SR20](https://openairdocs.org/model/cirrus-design-sr20) (registry code 2130000) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Continental IO-360 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-io-360-series) (registry code 17025, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 1235
- Year built: 2002
- Airframe hours: 989.8
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Registered owner: Higear Aviation LLC
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal
- Last inspection: Annual, September 15, 2025
- Departed: KDCU, Decatur, AL
- Destination: KSUS, Chesterfield, MO
- Flight plan: VFR
- Airport: KSUS, Spirit of St. Louis
- Equipment: Auto-pilot, Airframe parachute, ADS-B, Stall warning system, Onboard weather, Electronic primary flight display, Electronic multifunction display

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Night
- Wind: calm
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Temperature: 45 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter: 29.88 inHg
- Observed at: KSUS, 3 nm away
- METAR: METAR KSUS 112354Z 00000KT 10SM CLR 07/M01 A2988 RMK AO2 SLP123 T00721011 10167 20072 53006

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.

---
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.