Cirrus SR22 accident near Steamboat Springs, Colorado, February 14, 2009
On February 14, 2009 at about 6:15 pm local time, a Cirrus SR22, registered N486CD, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Steamboat Springs, Colorado (Bob Adams Field). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 3 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to apply brakes in a timely manner while landing on a snow-packed, ice-covered runway, and his delay in executing a go-around.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 14, 2009 · about 6:15 pm local time
- Place
- Steamboat Springs, Colorado · Bob Adams Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 3 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cirrus SR22 · all SR22s on the register
- Registration
- N486CD · no longer on the register · serial 1582
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said that he received a full weather briefing and that there were no NOTAMs (Notice to Airmen) for snow or ice on the runways. The pilot executed a global-positioning-system (GPS) approach to Runway 32. Because the runway has a displaced threshold and because he was flying the GPS approach, his touchdown point was the south runway marker, or 1,000 feet from the runway threshold. The airplane touched down between 80 to 90 knots. The pilot said that he did not apply "hard" brakes because he had been "conditioned to be conservative with the brakes" to avoid overheating them. As he passed a taxiway and started applying the brakes, the airplane hit a patch of ice and turned sideways to the right. The pilot was able to realign the airplane with the runway, but he was approximately 800 to 1,000 feet from the runway's end and still traveling approximately 50 knots. He decided to execute a go-around. As the airplane lifted off, the landing gear struck a snow berm at the end of the runway and the airplane came to rest inverted about 50 feet beyond the end of the runway.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll)
- Runway excursion during takeoff
- Collision during takeoff/land during takeoff defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Lack of action › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surfa › Snow/slush/ice covered › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 722 hours in all; 575 in this make and model; 54 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 661 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 3, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 866 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, April 16, 2008; 100 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-550-N (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Vector Resources LLC
The flight
- Departed from: APA Englewood CO at 5:15 pm
- Destination: SBS Steamboat Springs CO
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 32, 4,452 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 25°F (-4°C), dew point 7°F (-14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.20 inHg
- Observation at 5:45 pm from SBS
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.