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GAA16CA256

2016-05-14 · South St Paul, Minnesota, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport SGS

Current FAA registration · N323FT

Make / Model
CIRRUS DESIGN SR20
Year of manufacture
2004 · 12 years old at event
Engine
CONT MOTOR IO-360 SER (300 hp)
Seats / Engines
4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
20040720
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A37A04

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot's excessive nose high pitch attitude, which resulted in a tail strike during the landing flare.

Factual narrative

The pilot reported that during the landing flare the airplane impacted the ground in a slight nose high pitch attitude, which resulted in a tail strike. The pilot further reported that he taxied to the ramp area without further incident. A postaccident examination by the pilot revealed substantial damage to the rudder. According to the pilot there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that during the landing flare the airplane impacted the ground in a slight nose high pitch attitude, which resulted in a tail strike. The pilot further reported that he taxied to the ramp area without further incident. A postaccident examination by the pilot revealed substantial damage to the rudder. According to the pilot there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Pitch control-Not attained/maintained - C
  • C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2016_GAA16CA256.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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