Cirrus Design CORP SR20 accident near Wheelers Mill, Ohio, June 11, 2026
On June 11, 2026 at about 2:30 pm local time, a 2006 Cirrus Design CORP SR20, registered N858SD, was destroyed in an accident during takeoff near Wheelers Mill, Ohio (Greater Portsmouth Rgnl airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 11, 2026 · about 2:30 pm local time · cases in 2026
- Place
- Wheelers Mill, Ohio · Greater Portsmouth Rgnl · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cirrus Design CORP SR20, built 2006
- Registration
- N858SD · registry record · serial 1633
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On June 11, 2026, about 1030 eastern daylight time, a Cirrus SR20 airplane, N858SD, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Wheelers Mill, Ohio. The pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. Airport surveillance video captured the pilot refueling his airplane before the accident flight. Fuel receipts gathered from the fixed-based operator revealed that he added a total of 20 gallons of 100 LL fuel from the airport self-service pump. The video then showed the pilot complete his preflight inspection, start the airplane’s engine, and taxi the airplane to the runway hold short line. About 3 1/2 minutes later, the video showed the airplane depart from runway 18. The video captured the airplane’s takeoff and initial climb. The airplane briefly left the video frame before it is seen in a near vertical descent, rotating about its longitudinal axis, before an impact with terrain. A witness observed the takeoff sequence and stated that the airplane sounded normal. He stated that he saw the airplane bank to the left before it was obscured by a tree line, followed by a loud bang and visible smoke plume. The wreckage came to rest upright after impacting the garage of a residential home. There were no ground injuries. The airplane and residential home were destroyed by the postimpact fire (see figure 1). The Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS) rocket, lanyard, and collar were found about 165 ft northwest of the main wreckage; the CAPS parachute was observed aft of the horizontal stabilizer, partially extracted. Figure 1. Overview of accident site. No mechanical anomalies were found with the airframe or the engine during the onsite examination that would have precluded normal operations. The airplane was recovered from the accident site and transported to a secure location.
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 takeoff defining event
The aircraft
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Runway 18/3, 5,001 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 3,200 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.92 inHg
- Observation at 10:56 am from DWU, 18 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KDWU 111456Z AUTO VRB06G14KT 10SM FEW032 28/22 A2992 RMK AO2 SLP125 T02830217 58006 $
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check at the NTSB.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N858SD on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Greater Portsmouth Regional · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Ohio 1,884 since 1982 · 253 in the last ten years
- Ohio 8,531 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN26FA222.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.