# NTSB CHI08LA216: Cirrus Design SR22, N620SR, Watertown, WI, July 26, 2008 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: July 26, 2008, 15:45 local (20:45 UTC) - Place: Watertown, WI - Coordinates: 43.169445, -88.720558 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=43.1694&lon=-88.7206&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Approach](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/500) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Approach-VFR go-around: Aerodynamic stall/spin](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/241) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 2 serious - Status: Completed, report March 5, 2009 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: Federal Aviation Administration, Cirrus Design Corp - NTSB case key (mKey): 68738 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CHI08LA216 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/68738/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI08LA216 ## Probable cause The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed during the go-around, resulting in an aerodynamic stall. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's delayed recovery from the bounced landing. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Performance/control parameters: airspeed](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062010): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintained (probable cause); cases with it: [Cirrus Design SR22, 24 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062010/cases.md?model=2130001), [All aircraft, 1,681 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062010/cases.md) - [Action: delayed action](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041025): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Cirrus Design SR22, 6 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041025/cases.md?model=2130001), [All aircraft, 894 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041025/cases.md) - [Use of equip/info: aircraft control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Cirrus Design SR22, 94 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md?model=2130001), [All aircraft, 9,295 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Landing-flare/touchdown: Abnormal runway contact](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/090); cases with it: [Cirrus Design SR22, 16 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/090/sequence.md?model=2130001), [All aircraft, 1,506 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/090/sequence.md) - [Landing: Runway excursion](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300); cases with it: [Cirrus Design SR22, 40 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300/sequence.md?model=2130001), [All aircraft, 3,643 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300/sequence.md) - [Approach-VFR go-around: Aerodynamic stall/spin](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/241) (defining event); cases with it: [Cirrus Design SR22, 19 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/241/sequence.md?model=2130001), [All aircraft, 1,529 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/241/sequence.md) - [Uncontrolled descent: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) ](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470); cases with it: [Cirrus Design SR22, 113 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md?model=2130001), [All aircraft, 10,189 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md) - [Post-impact: Fire/smoke (post-impact)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/170); cases with it: [Cirrus Design SR22, 5 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/170/sequence.md?model=2130001), [All aircraft, 354 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/170/sequence.md) ## Analysis The pilot reported that the airplane bounced "really high" during the flare. He had never experienced a bounced landing before in a Cirrus. The pilot added power to stop the bounce and the airplane bounced again. He tried again without adding power, but the airplane bounced a third time. At that point he performed a go-around. The pilot realized he was "low and slow" and the airplane was not exhibiting any lift with the throttle at full power. The pilot realized he was going to crash and looked for an area without people. The pilot thought he stalled the airplane and it impacted at full power. An on-scene examination of the wreckage revealed no preimpact anomalies. ## Factual narrative On July 26, 2008, about 1545 central daylight time, a Cirrus Design Corp. SR22, N620SR, was destroyed on impact with terrain during an aborted landing on runway 29 (2,801 feet by 75 feet, dry asphalt) at the Watertown Municipal Airport (RYV), near Watertown, Wisconsin. A post impact fire occurred. The personal flight was operating under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed in the area at the time of the accident. No flight plan was on file. The private pilot and passenger sustained serious injuries and were transported to a hospital. The flight originated about 1445 from the Foster Field Airport, near Apple River, Illinois, and was destined for RYV. The pilot was telephone interviewed by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector. The pilot stated that he entered a full traffic pattern for runway 29. The pilot said that the approached was at 70 to 80 knots and it looked good up to the runway numbers. In the interview he indicated that during flare the mains touched first and the airplane "bounced like a ball straight up, really high." He said that he had bounced in a Cessna 172 and this was something he had never experienced before in a Cirrus. The pilot reported that he elected to let the airplane settle and added a little power to stop the bounce. The airplane bounced again and this time he did not add power and let it settle. The airplane bounced a third time and he stated that he was about two thirds of the way down the runway. At this point he elected to perform a go around. The engine responded "right away" to his throttle application of full power. He stated he realized he was "low and slow" and was not getting any lift with the throttle at full power. Realizing he was going to crash, he stated that he looked for an area without people. The pilot recalled that he thought he stalled the airplane and it impacted at full power. The pilot did not recall if the seat belt airbags deployed during the impact. A witness who was an airline pilot, in part, stated: After the crash, we started towards the site, but I cautioned several near me of the rocket installed for the CAPS [Cirrus Airframe Parachute System] system and we stood back. The line crew responded and was apparently able to remove the occupants of the aircraft from the scene before the EMS crews arrived. As the airframe burned, three "pops" were heard, apparently tires, then a large explosion [scattered] burning debris as far away as the [Seneca] parked south of the eastern most hangar row. This was thought to be the rocket and the crews moved in. In hind sight it was the O2 tank and the rocket cooked off shortly there after, launching about 35' in the air and shooting directly north in front of the FBO [fixed base operator] and into the grass near the departure end of runway 29. The pilot held a FAA private pilot certificate with an airplane single-engine land rating. He held a third-class medical certificate issued on November 27, 2007. The pilot attended Cirrus SR22 factory training in January 2008. The pilot recorded 234.8 hours of total flight time in his logbook. N620SR, a Cirrus Design Corp. SR22, serial number 2545, was a four-place single engine low wing airplane powered by a six-cylinder, 310-horsepower, Teledyne Continental Motors (TCM) model IO-550-N engine that drove a three-bladed Hartzell constant speed propeller. At 1535, the recorded weather at RYV was: Wind 290 degrees at 10 knots; visibility 10 statute miles; sky condition clear; temperature 27 degree C; dew point 17 degrees C; altimeter 29.96 inches of mercury. The airplane contained non-volatile memory chips in its avionics. The avionics were damaged in the ground fire and no data was recoverable from the chips. An on-scene examination of the wreckage was conducted by a FAA inspector and an airplane manufacturer's safety representative. The examination revealed no pre-impact anomalies. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N620SR](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N620SR-2013-08-12), registration cancelled 2013-08-12, S/N 2545, built 2007 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Cirrus Design Corp. SR22 - Registry model: [Cirrus Design SR22](https://openairdocs.org/model/cirrus-design-sr22) (registry code 2130001) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental IO-550-N](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-io-550-n) (registry code 17215, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 2545 - Airframe hours: 161.7 - Engines: Continental IO-550-N 310 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Destroyed - Fire: On-Ground - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Kettle Hills Aviation LLC - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, January 11, 2008 - Departed: 7A4, Apple River, IL - Destination: RYV, Watertown, WI - Flight plan: Unknown - Airport: RYV, Watertown Muni, runway 29, 2,801 × 75 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 57; injuries: serious; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 3, with waivers/limitations; seat: left; flight hours: 235 total, 100 in this make and model, 49 in the last 90 days, 22 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 290° at 10 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 81 °F, dew point 63 °F - Altimeter: 29.95 inHg - Observed at: RYV ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20080726846309A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20080726846309A), Jul 26, 2008: Cirrus SR22, Watertown, WI, Destroyed. On July 26, 2008, at 1555 local, N620SR a Cirrus SR22 flown by [privacy data omitted] departed from a private rwy in galena, IL. Pilot attempted to land on rwy… 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.