Cirrus SR22 accident near Hendersonville, North Carolina, December 1, 2007
On December 1, 2007 at about 9:34 pm local time, a Cirrus SR22, registered N874SR, was destroyed in an accident near Hendersonville, North Carolina (Hendersonville Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper recovery from a bounced landing resulting in a loss of directional control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 1, 2007 · about 9:34 pm local time
- Place
- Hendersonville, North Carolina · Hendersonville Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cirrus SR22 · all SR22s on the register
- Registration
- N874SR · no longer on the register · serial 2387
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that he landed on runway 15 and was on the landing roll out when a gust of wind caused the left wing to come up. He applied left aileron and there was no response. The airplane started turning to the right. He lost directional control of the airplane and it came to a stop on the runway. A witness stated that he heard the pilot call in on the UNICOM radio frequency and observed the airplane on final approach. The witness heard an increase in engine power and looked up. The airplane was about 2 feet above the runway "Flailing," the airplane rose to an altitude of less than ten feet, and appeared to be banking and yawing out of control. The nearest weather reporting facility located 11 nautical miles southeast of the crash site was: wind 150 degrees at 8 knots. No gusting winds were reported at the time of the accident. The Chief Pilot for the local Sheriff's Department responded to the accident scene. He observed the airplane was in an upright position on fire. The left main landing gear and empennage had separated, the engine compartment was on the runway, and the nose landing gear was bent to the right. Examination of the runway by the Chief Pilot revealed the airplane touched down on the runway 214 feet from the displaced threshold and bounced. A tire mark and two white paint transfer marks about 3 to 6 inches in length were present on the runway. The airplane touched down again 559 feet just left of runway centerline, and another paint transfer mark was present on the runway extending 1 to 2 inches in diameter curving to the right. About 918 feet from the displaced threshold, another set of white paint transfer marks 36 feet in length were observed in a left arc on the runway. Additional tire marks were present on the runway in a left arc at 1,011 and 1,057.8 feet. A white paint transfer mark,12 to 18 inches in length was present on the left edge of the runway 1,170 feet from the displaced threshold. The airplane departed the left side of the runway 1,302 feet from the displaced threshold. A narrow line was present in the grass extending 174 feet in an arc from the runway towards a berm and back towards the runway with propeller ground strike scars. The airplane turned to the right and came to rest on the runway 1,585 feet from the displaced threshold. Examination of the airframe, flight controls, propeller assembly, engine assembly and accessories revealed no anomalies.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 985 hours in all; 101 in this make and model; 24 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 952 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 1, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 150 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 1, 2007; 150 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-550-N (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: 6A4 Mountain City TN at 8:00 pm
- Destination: 0A7 Hendersonville NC
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 15, 3,075 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.32 inHg
- Observation at 8:54 pm from KAVL, 11 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| 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.
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.