Cirrus Design Corp. SR22 accident near Pueblo, Colorado, October 29, 2004
On October 29, 2004 at about 8:35 pm local time, a Cirrus Design Corp. SR22, registered N203RF, was substantially damaged in an accident near Pueblo, Colorado (Pueblo Memorial Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s inadequate compensation for wind and his failure to maintain aircraft control which resulted in a gear collapse due to an on-ground collision with terrain. Contributing factors were the wind shear, gusty wind conditions, and rough terrain. This report was modified on April 22, 2005
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 29, 2004 · about 8:35 pm local time
- Place
- Pueblo, Colorado · Pueblo Memorial Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cirrus Design Corp. SR22
- Registration
- N203RF · registry record · serial 0453
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Prior to landing, the pilot obtained the current weather information at the airport, which reported gusty wind conditions. On ATIS, the wind was reported from 270 degrees at 25 knots and gusting to 31 knots. After crossing runway 26R's threshold, approximately 100 to 200 feet agl, the airplane encountered a "soft pocket of air" and dropped 50 feet. During the landing flare, the airplane encountered a wind gust, and the airplane ballooned up. After the wind gust, the pilot added "a little power [to the engine]." During a second attempt to touchdown, the airplane encountered another wind gust and the "right wing lifted up and [the airplane] veered to the left approximately 30 degrees." The airplane "mushed," and the pilot flew the airplane between two construction vehicles near the edge of the runway. The airplane touched down on the terrain between the runway and the parallel taxiway. After touchdown, the airplane skidded to the right and the left main gear collapsed, and the airplane then skidded to the right and the right main gear collapsed. The airplane came to rest upright between the runway and taxiway. According to airport personnel, two aircraft which landed after the accident airplane, reported encountering wind shear while landing.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,002 hours in all; 284 in this make and model; 19 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 1,914 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 21, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 480 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 5, 2004
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Teledyne Continental IO-550-N (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CDC Cedar City UT at 6:00 pm
- Destination: PUB Pueblo CO
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 26R, 10,496 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 31 knots, gusting 28
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.77 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.