Cirrus SR22 N983WP accident near Glenwood Springs, Colorado

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the airplane while landing with a tail wind, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and a subsequent hard landing..

NTSB analysis

Following a cross-country flight, the pilot overflew the area to familiarize himself with the destination airport and elected to land to the south. The weather was clear, and the automated weather observing system reported the winds were calm. The pilot flew the final approach with an airspeed "in the mid 70s" and configured the airplane with full flaps. During the landing flare, the airplane developed an uncontrollable sink rate and landed hard, collapsing the nosewheel and resulting in substantial damage to the airplane. The pilot reported that the airplane likely encountered a tailwind during landing, causing the airplane to stall.

The nearest weather reporting facilities recorded gusty wind conditions from variable directions about the time of the accident. It is likely that the airplane encountered an unexpected tailwind during landing, and the pilot's lost airplane control, resulting in a stall.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN19TA330 for the full record.