Cirrus SR20 N275RS accident near Aitkin, Minnesota

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate airspeed, which resulted in a loss of airplane control during the go-around. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s failure to properly configure the airplane’s flaps during the go-around.

NTSB analysis

The pilot departed for a local flight and noted no anomalies during the flight. During the landing with mild wind gusts, the airplane touched down, bounced, and the pilot elected to perform a go-around. The pilot reported that he “followed all procedures to execute the maneuver [and] upon applying full power, the engine didn’t respond resulting in very little power.” The pilot determined the airplane could not properly climb and he initiated an emergency landing by activating the airplane’s parachute system at a low altitude. The airplane came rest upright in swamp vegetation adjacent to the runway and sustained substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage.

During the attempted go-around, the pilot did not retract the flaps from the 100% extended position to the 50% position as directed in the pilot’s operating handbook. In addition, the airplane’s calculated weight and balance was near the forward center of gravity limit.

Postaccident examination of the airframe and engine, engine performance data, and a functional engine test revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.

Based on available evidence, it is likely the airplane’s climb performance was degraded due to inadequate airspeed and failure to retract the wing flaps from the full extended position, which resulted in a loss of airplane control during the go-around.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN24LA207 for the full record.