Cirrus SR20 accident near Battle Creek, Michigan, July 20, 2011
On July 20, 2011 at about 7:16 pm local time, a Cirrus SR20, registered N93TA, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Battle Creek, Michigan (W K Kellogg Airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot's improper flare which resulted in a hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 20, 2011 · about 7:16 pm local time · cases in 2011
- Place
- Battle Creek, Michigan · W K Kellogg Airport · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cirrus SR20 · all SR20s on the register
- Registration
- N93TA · registry record · serial 1683
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot executed a go-around after the airplane's pitch angle for the approach was too high. He then attempted another approach with a lower angle but at a somewhat faster approach speed with idle engine power. During the landing attempt, the airplane landed hard, bounced twice before the student pilot applied full engine power and retracted flaps from 100 percent to 50 percent in order to execute a go-around. The airplane then veered off the left side of the runway and impacted terrain and a fence. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the empennage and wing. The pilot student reported no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Pitch control › Incorrect use/operation
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 49 hours in all; 49 in this make and model; 22 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 6 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,358 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, June 29, 2011
- Maximum gross weight: 3,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Teledyne Continental IO-360-ES (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Western Michigan University
The flight
- Departed from: BTL Battle Creek MI at 6:21 pm
- Destination: BTL Battle Creek MI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 23L, 4,100 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 29.87 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from BTL
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on August 25, 2011. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Operator Report | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N93TA on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Cirrus SR20 1,633 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Engine: Teledyne Continental IO-360-ES 401 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Battle Creek Executive AT Kellogg Field · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Michigan 2,107 since 1982 · 230 in the last ten years
- Michigan 7,231 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN11CA496.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.