No fatalities

11 Oct 2011: CIRRUS DESIGN CORP SR20 NO SERIES — PRESSLEY HUNT M — Englewood, CO

Englewood, CO, United States

On 11 Oct 2011, a CIRRUS DESIGN CORP SR20 NO SERIES operated by PRESSLEY HUNT M was involved in an aviation accident near Englewood, CO. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The student pilot's improper flare, which resulted in a bounced landing from which he was unable to recover. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

A student pilot on a solo flight made a bounced landing, causing the aircraft to exit the runway and sustain composite wing damage.

Incident Overview

A student pilot, who had been endorsed for solo flight the day before and had completed solo flights on that day, was conducting a solo flight. On the day of the accident, he successfully performed two touch-and-go landings. The accident occurred during the third landing.

Approach and Landing

The student pilot reported being high at the start of the final approach. He crossed the runway threshold and flared some distance past the runway numbers. After touching down on the main gear, he applied back pressure on the control yoke, causing the airplane to become airborne again. The airplane's nose rose sharply and angled slightly to the left. Subsequently, the nose came down, and the airplane struck the runway hard, bouncing up sharply and angling to the right.

Runway Excursion and Damage

The airplane continued bouncing and exited the runway. It slid across the grass, crossed a service road, and went down a hill before coming to rest next to a fence that surrounded a reservoir. Both wings sustained extensive damage to their composite structure. No other anomalies were found in the aircraft.

Additional Information

The investigation did not specify any mechanical failures or system anomalies contributing to the event. The student pilot's training status and the sequence of events were noted.

Contributing factors

Student pilotLanding flare — Not attained/maintained