Cirrus SR20 accident near Akron, Colorado, March 12, 2019
On March 12, 2019 at about 10:00 pm local time, a 2018 Cirrus SR20, registered N418DE, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Akron, Colorado (Colorado Plains Rgnl airport). It was an instructional 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 student pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing, which resulted in a runway excursion and collision with a drainage culvert.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 12, 2019 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Akron, Colorado · Colorado Plains Rgnl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cirrus SR20 No Series, built 2018 · all SR20s on the register
- Registration
- N418DE · registry record · serial 2428
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot reported that, during his first solo flight in the pattern, he aborted the first landing because he was uncomfortable with the airplane's runway alignment. During the subsequent approach, the airplane was crabbed slightly to the right. He recalled that, just before the airplane touched down, he applied left rudder, and that, upon touchdown, the airplane bounced. The airplane exited the left side of the runway and collided with a drainage culvert and nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the empennage. The student reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. He added that the wind at the time of the accident was calm.
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
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Airport structure › Effect on operation
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 65.4 hours in all; 42.7 in this make and model; 1 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 456.8 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 8, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 3,150 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-390-C3B6 (piston); 457 hours total
- Operator: Independence Aviation LLC
The flight
- Departed from: APA Denver CO at 9:30 pm
- Destination: AKO Akron CO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 29, 7,001 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.59 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 pm from KAKO, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on June 26, 2019. 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, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photo | 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.
Other NTSB records under N418DE the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.