Cirrus Design Corporation SR20 accident near Staples, Minnesota, May 6, 2013
On May 6, 2013 at about 4:40 pm local time, a Cirrus Design Corporation SR20, registered N161KT, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Staples, Minnesota (Staples Municipal Airport). It was a personal 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s misjudged landing flare, which resulted in a porpoised landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 6, 2013 · about 4:40 pm local time
- Place
- Staples, Minnesota · Staples Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cirrus Design Corporation SR20 · all SR20s on the register
- Registration
- N161KT · registry record · serial 1144
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that the landing approach to the hard surface runway was uneventful until the landing flare, when the airplane pitch descended below a normal flare attitude. The pilot reported that the nose landing gear “firmly” struck the runway before the main landing gear, which resulted in a bounced landing. The pilot stated that the airplane bounced a second time before he selected takeoff power and retracted the flaps to 50 percent in an attempt to abort the landing; however, the airplane did not achieve takeoff speed and subsequently departed the end of the runway and impacted a runway edge identifier light. A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any preimpact failures or malfunctions that would have prevented 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
- Loss of control in flight during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Incorrect use/operation
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 17,000 hours in all; 20 in this make and model
- Last flight review: August 6, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,119.5 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 28, 2012
- Maximum gross weight: 3,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Teledyne Continental IO-360-ES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KSAZ Staples MN at 4:10 pm
- Destination: KSAZ Staples MN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 32, 3,305 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.11 inHg
- Observation at 4:33 pm from KSAZ
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN13LA261.