Pilot Debrief

Cirrus SR22 near GLENWOOD SPRINGS, CO — 2019-08-25

Final reportCEN19TA330
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Date
2019-08-25
Location
GLENWOOD SPRINGS, CO, USA
Airport
GWS
Aircraft
Cirrus SR22
Registration
N983WP
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Approach

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the airplane while landing with a tail wind, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and a subsequent hard landing..

NTSB narrative

Following a cross-country flight, the pilot overflew the area to familiarize himself with the destination airport and elected to land to the south. The weather was clear, and the automated weather observing system reported the winds were calm. The pilot flew the final approach with an airspeed "in the mid 70s" and configured the airplane with full flaps. During the landing flare, the airplane developed an uncontrollable sink rate and landed hard, collapsing the nosewheel and resulting in substantial damage to the airplane. The pilot reported that the airplane likely encountered a tailwind during landing, causing the airplane to stall. The nearest weather reporting facilities recorded gusty wind conditions from variable directions about the time of the accident. It is likely that the airplane encountered an unexpected tailwind during landing, and the pilot's lost airplane control, resulting in a stall.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Controlled flight into terrain
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have aborted landing due to potential tailwind conditions.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • 4 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents4

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