Cirrus Design CORP SR22 accident near Atlanta, Georgia, May 14, 2015
On May 14, 2015 at about 6:15 pm local time, a 2001 Cirrus Design CORP SR22, registered N741CD, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Atlanta, Georgia (Dekalb-Peachtree airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain pitch control during the landing. Contributing to this accident was the pilot's lack of experience with the airplane's performance characteristics during the approach resulting in a hard landing and runway excursion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 14, 2015 · about 6:15 pm local time
- Place
- Atlanta, Georgia · Dekalb-Peachtree · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cirrus Design CORP SR22 No Series, built 2001
- Registration
- N741CD · registry record · serial 0137
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he initiated a steep descent for landing and that his final approach was high and fast. He reported the airplane made contact with the runway during the flare, and bounced during touchdown, resulting in a propeller strike and runway excursion. A post-accident examination by a Federal Aviation Administration Air Safety Inspector revealed substantial damage to the left wing. The Air Safety Inspector stated the landing gear made contact with the left wing causing the damage. The pilot reported no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions 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
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll)
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- factor Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Experience/qualifications › Total experience › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Pitch control › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 269 hours in all; 38 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 2.7 in the last 30 days; 130 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 20, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,457 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 24, 2014; 80 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor IO-550 N7 (piston); 1,537 hours total
- Operator: N741Cd LLC
The flight
- Departed from: TLH Tallahassee FL at 4:30 pm
- Destination: PDK Atlanta GA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 03L, 3,746 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 4 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,300 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.27 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from PDK
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 July 8, 2015. 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 with Aviation Safety Inspector (Ricker) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Memorandum for Record of Weather 191415APR2015 (Kpdk) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Photograph 1: Substantial Damage to Left Wing (Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View 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.