Cirrus SR20 accident near Aitkin, Minnesota, June 1, 2024
On June 1, 2024 at about 5:18 pm local time, a 2003 Cirrus SR20, registered N275RS, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR go-around) near Aitkin, Minnesota (Aitkin Muni/Steve Kurtz Fld airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 2 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate airspeed, which resulted in a loss of airplane control during the go-around. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s failure to properly configure the airplane’s flaps during the go-around.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 1, 2024 · about 5:18 pm local time
- Place
- Aitkin, Minnesota · Aitkin Muni/Steve Kurtz Fld · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 2 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cirrus SR20, built 2003 · all SR20s on the register
- Registration
- N275RS · registry record · serial 1280
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot departed for a local flight and noted no anomalies during the flight. During the landing with mild wind gusts, the airplane touched down, bounced, and the pilot elected to perform a go-around. The pilot reported that he “followed all procedures to execute the maneuver [and] upon applying full power, the engine didn’t respond resulting in very little power.” The pilot determined the airplane could not properly climb and he initiated an emergency landing by activating the airplane’s parachute system at a low altitude. The airplane came rest upright in swamp vegetation adjacent to the runway and sustained substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage. During the attempted go-around, the pilot did not retract the flaps from the 100% extended position to the 50% position as directed in the pilot’s operating handbook. In addition, the airplane’s calculated weight and balance was near the forward center of gravity limit. Postaccident examination of the airframe and engine, engine performance data, and a functional engine test revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Based on available evidence, it is likely the airplane’s climb performance was degraded due to inadequate airspeed and failure to retract the wing flaps from the full extended position, which resulted in a loss of airplane control during the go-around.
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 approach (VFR go-around) defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Lack of action › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Flight control system › (general) › Not used/operated
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 344 hours in all; 198 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 167 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 18, 2022
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,690 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, April 19, 2024
- Maximum gross weight: 3,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Teledyne Continental Motors IO-360-ES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16/3, 4,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 8 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.92 inHg
- Observation at 12:15 pm from KAIT
Weather report (METAR): KAIT 011715Z AUTO 24008G16KT 210V280 10SM CLR 22/07 A2992 RMK AO2
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
13 documents, released by the NTSB on November 14, 2024. 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 | Law Enforcement Body Camera Interview Summary | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Accident Flight Engine Performance Data | spreadsheet | Download |
| 4 | Plotted Performance Data | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Aircraft Examination Summary | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Functional Engine Test Video | MOV file | Download |
| 7 | Wing Flap Position | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 8 | Pilot Weight and Balance Calculation | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 9 | Cirrus Pilot's Operating Handbook Excerpt | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 10 | Investigation Photographs | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 11 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation - Cirrus | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 12 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation - Continental | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 13 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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 CEN24LA207.