Cirrus Design Corp. SR-20 accident near Fish Haven, Idaho, July 12, 2003
On July 12, 2003 at about 2:00 pm local time, a Cirrus Design Corp. SR-20, registered N27SJ, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fish Haven, Idaho (J-Lazy-M airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain terrain clearance while maneuvering. Rising terrain, an inadvertent raising of the flaps for unknown reasons, and low altitude were factors.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 12, 2003 · about 2:00 pm local time
- Place
- Fish Haven, Idaho · J-Lazy-M · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cirrus Design Corp. SR-20
- Registration
- N27SJ · registry record · serial 1086
- 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 approached the airstrip with the intent to fly over at about 100 feet agl. The pilot reduced power and extended full flaps. When the aircraft was over the approach end of the airstrip, he applied full power and selected 50% flap retraction and pitched up with a slight left turn. The pilot stated that everything seemed fine for about 3-5 seconds when he felt the "sink." The pilot stated that he was aware that he was going down and turned left to avoid heading directly into the rising terrain. The aircraft collided with the terrain about 600 feet from the airstrip. After the accident, it was noted that the flaps were fully retracted and that the flap control switch was in the full up position. The pilot initially reported that when he was climbing out of the aircraft, "...I specifically looked at the Flaps because I knew what had happened by the "Feel;" of the sink. " Later the pilot recalled that on several occasions, while on the ground, and with no radio transmissions, the flaps had retracted from 100% to 0 when the flap setting was selected to 50%. A review of the maintenance records did not indicate that the aircraft was inspected regarding these reports. Maintenance records did indicate that a service bulletin had been accomplished at the previous annual inspection which installed EMI suppression cores on the flap wiring between the proximity switches and the flap circuit card. The Service Bulletin indicated that radio transmissions were inducing voltage into the flap motor proximity switches that caused the flaps to stop, continue past their selected position or reverse. The pilot stated that he did not make a radio transmission at the time, but might have pressed the push-to-talk switch when he meant to press the altitude hold to cancel. Both are located on the control stick. The annual inspection was accomplished approximately 164 hours prior to the accident with no additional reports from the pilot of a problem with the flaps.
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
- Flight time: 404 hours in all; 394 in this make and model; 40 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 340 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 26, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 569 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 24, 2002; 164 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-360 ES-6B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OGD Ogden UT at 1:30 pm
- Destination: 1U7 Paris ID
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 29, 1,000 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.