Cirrus Design CORP SR22 accident near Burnsville, North Carolina, November 14, 2021
On November 14, 2021 at about 5:52 pm local time, a 2002 Cirrus Design CORP SR22, registered N633CD, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Burnsville, North Carolina (Mountain Air airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to compensate for the high density altitude and the tailwind component while landing at a mountaintop airport, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and a loss of aircraft control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 14, 2021 · about 5:52 pm local time
- Place
- Burnsville, North Carolina · Mountain Air · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cirrus Design CORP SR22 NO SERIES, built 2002
- Registration
- N633CD · registry record · serial 0369
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was performing a visual approach to a mountaintop airport with an estimated density altitude of 9,860 ft, and a tailwind component. He stated he “carried some extra speed” during the approach to compensate for wind and turbulence that he described as “burpy.” As he started to flare, he got pushed hard to his left. He lowered the nose and increased engine power to abort the landing, but the airplane struck trees and a small building before coming to rest inside the wood line on the left side of the runway, which resulted in substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage. Airport surveillance video depicted the airplane on approach, and as its attitude flattened in the landing flare, its nose and left wing deflected downward, and the airplane departed the left side of the runway where it struck trees and a building. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical deficiencies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Runway excursion during landing
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Capability exceeded
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Tailwind › Effect on equipment
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › (general) › (general) › Effect on equipment
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,395 hours in all; 2,198 in this make and model; 35 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days; 2,344 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 20, 2021
- Medical certificate: BasicMed
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,075 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 16, 2021
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-550N (piston); 2,129 hours total
- Operator: Polaris Fire Protection INC
The flight
- Departed from: FHB Fernandina Beach FL at 2:45 pm
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 14/3, 2,900 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.93 inHg
- Observation at 12:54 pm from KAVL, 28 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KAVL 141754Z 23005KT 10SM CLR 11/M02 A2993 RMK AO2 SLP134 T01111017 10111 21022 58037
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on May 20, 2022. 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 | Memorandum for Record A�� Telephone Interview, Pilot (FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Photo Array | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Video File | AVI file | Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.