Cirrus SR-20 accident near Willows, California, April 28, 2006
On April 28, 2006 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Cirrus SR-20, registered N1488C, was substantially damaged in an accident near Willows, California (Willows-Glenn County 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 pilot's misjudged landing flare and improper recovery from a bounced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 28, 2006 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Willows, California · Willows-Glenn County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cirrus SR-20 · all SR-20s on the register
- Registration
- N1488C · registry record · serial 1329
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane incurred structural damage during landing when the airplane entered a porpoise pilot induced oscillation and the propeller struck the runway. The student pilot was on the second leg of his solo cross-country flight. The approach to runway 34 was normal, but during touchdown the airplane porpoised. The pilot initiated an aborted landing, and flew the airplane to Red Bluff Municipal Airport where he landed uneventfully. He parked the airplane at the ramp and shut down the engine. The pilot inspected the airplane and found damage to the propeller resulting from ground impact during the porpoise. An inspection by maintenance personnel revealed structural damage. The pilot stated that the airplane and engine had no mechanical failures or malfunctions during the flight.
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
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 72 hours in all; 70 in this make and model; 5 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 426 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 2005
- Maximum gross weight: 3,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-ES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KSCK Stockton CA at 6:54 pm
- Destination: KRBL Red Bluff CA
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 34, 4,506 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
- Observation at 8:50 pm from CIC, 24 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
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.