Cirrus Design CORP SR22 accident near Winder, Georgia, July 7, 2009
On July 7, 2009 at about 3:25 pm local time, a Cirrus Design CORP SR22, registered N316SR, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Winder, Georgia (Northeast Georgia Regional airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to obtain the proper touchdown point during a practice forced landing, and the flight instructor's delayed decision to initiate a go-around.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 7, 2009 · about 3:25 pm local time
- Place
- Winder, Georgia · Northeast Georgia Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cirrus Design CORP SR22
- Registration
- N316SR · registry record · serial 2472
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the certificated flight instructor, the purpose of the flight review was to fulfill an insurance company requirement for the pilot/owner in the left seat. The first attempted maneuver was a simulated forced landing to runway 5. The flight instructor stated that "due to minimum downwind spacing and a short base leg, the aircraft overshot the final approach" path. When he realized that the approach was not stabilized, the flight instructor "attempted to assume control of the aircraft and initiate a go-around." He also stated that as he "advanced the power it became evident that the airspeed and altitude were too low" to avoid ground contact to the left of the runway. The airplane struck terrain and two taxiway lights, continued down an embankment, and came to rest about 100 yards from the initial point of contact. The airplane sustained damage to the landing gear, vertical stabilizer, right flap, and propeller. The reported airport winds about the time of the accident were calm. The pilot did not report any mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
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
- Simulated/training event during approach
- Landing area undershoot during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- factor Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Instructor/check pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Descent/approach/glide path › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot (unmanned)
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot, flight engineer, military
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 32,000 hours in all; 550 in this make and model; 70 in the last 90 days; 23 in the last 30 days; 17,500 as pilot in command; 1,800 on instruments
- Last flight review: May 14, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 256 hours in all; 256 in this make and model; 18 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 83 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 18, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 715 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 5, 2009
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor IO-550-N (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PDK Atlanta GA at 2:55 pm
- Destination: WDR Winder GA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 05, 3,610 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,500 ft; scat at 2,100 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.88 inHg
- Observation at 3:20 pm from WDR
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
Other NTSB records under N316SR the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 ERA09CA387.