- Date
- May 14, 2016, 15:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- South St Paul, MN
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N323FTCirrus Design SR20
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Tailstrike
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 3, 2016
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20160514005459A
- Case key
- 93231
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's excessive nose high pitch attitude, which resulted in a tail strike during the landing flare.
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 reported that during the landing flare the airplane impacted the ground in a slight nose high pitch attitude, which resulted in a tail strike. The pilot further reported that he taxied to the ramp area without further incident. A postaccident examination by the pilot revealed substantial damage to the rudder. According to the pilot there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that during the landing flare the airplane impacted the ground in a slight nose high pitch attitude, which resulted in a tail strike. The pilot further reported that he taxied to the ramp area without further incident. A postaccident examination by the pilot revealed substantial damage to the rudder. According to the pilot there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N323FT
- Reported as
- Cirrus Design SR20 (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1432
- Built
- 2004
- Airframe hours
- 3,147
- Engine
- Continental IO-360-E5, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 1, 2016
- Departed
- SGS · South St Paul, MN
- Destination
- SGS · South St Paul, MN
- Airport
- SGS · South St Paul Muni-Richard E F, runway 34, 4,002 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic primary flight display, Electronic multifunction display, Auto-pilot, Airframe parachute, Stall warning system, Onboard weather
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
- 53
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 13, 2014
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 1,493.3 total · 113.6 in this make and model · 1,420 as pilot in command · 36 in the last 90 days · 14.6 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 16 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 48 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.06 inHg
- Observed at
- KSGS
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 26, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.2 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.