Cirrus Design Corp. SR22 accident near Verdigre, Nebraska, May 20, 2006
On May 20, 2006 at about 3:00 pm local time, a Cirrus Design Corp. SR22, registered N814SN, was substantially damaged in an accident near Verdigre, Nebraska (Private Airstrip airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured; 3 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's decision to land on a wet grass runway that had insufficient length available for landing roll. An additional cause was the pilot's failure to properly retract the flaps during the aborted landing, resulting in diminished climb performance and the collision with the trees. Contributing factors to the accident were that the full length of the runway was not available for landing, the wet grass runway condition, and the trees which the airplane impacted during the aborted landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 20, 2006 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Verdigre, Nebraska · Private Airstrip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 3 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cirrus Design Corp. SR22
- Registration
- N814SN · no longer on the register · serial 0246
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane impacted trees during an aborted landing attempt. The pilot reported that his private grass airstrip was 2,700 feet long and 75 feet wide. The pilot stated that the runway was wet due to a rain shower earlier that morning. The pilot reported that about one-half of the runway had been seeded recently and as a result he attempted to land on the remaining portion of runway. The pilot stated that upon landing the airplane began to slide on the wet runway when he applied brakes. The pilot reported that he initiated an aborted landing, but the airplane impacted two trees after becoming airborne. The trees were positioned about 50 feet past the departure threshold. The landing roll distance for a dry, level, paved runway, was 1,205 feet, according to the Cirrus SR22 Pilot Operating Handbook (POH). The POH indicated that the calculated landing distance should be increased by 40% for operations on grass runways, which resulted in a landing distance of 1,687 feet. The POH did not include an adjustment factor for operations on wet runways. According to a post-accident examination of the runway, the airplane touched down with about 1,265 feet of runway remaining. According to the POH, the flaps should be retracted to 50% during an aborted landing to maximize climb performance. The flaps were found fully extended at the accident site.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 502 hours in all; 124 in this make and model; 40 in the last 90 days; 21 in the last 30 days; 502 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 354 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 1, 2005
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Teledyne Continental IO-550-N7B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CEK Crete NE at 1:55 pm
- Destination: PVT Verdigre NE
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 31, 2,700 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.