# Incident 20230228006249I: Cirrus Design Corp SR20, Leesburg, VA, February 28, 2023

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: February 28, 2023, 16:00 local time
- Place: Leesburg, VA
- Airport: Leesburg Executive
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 39.0780° N, 77.5575° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at LEESBURG EXEC (JYO), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.0780&lon=-77.5575&mi=10
- Aircraft: N49TB, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N49TB) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cirrus Design SR20 (registry code 2130000, https://openairdocs.org/model/cirrus-design-sr20) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental IO-360 series (registry code 17025, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-io-360-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CIRRUS DESIGN CORP SR20
- Reported engine: CONT MOTOR IO-360 SER
- People aboard: 0
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 702 total
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20230228006249I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ OF THE AIRPLANE CONTACTED THE FSDO TO REPORT A POSSIBLE ACCIDENT/INCIDENT. SHE HAS ALLOWED THREE OTHER PEOPLE TO FLY THE AIRPLANE ON AND OFF UNDER A VERBAL AGREEMENT. THE DAMAGE TO THE AIRPLANE WAS DISCOVERED DURING ANNUAL INSPECTION WHICH BEGAN IN MAY 2023. THE DAMAGE IS TO THE TAIL TIE DOWN RING, AND IT APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN PUSHED BACK TOWARD THE ELEVATOR BY MAKING CONTACT WITH THE GROUND. WHEN THE RING WAS BENT BACK, IT BENT A METAL ATTACHMENT PANEL AND TORE PART OF THE COMPOSITE MATERIAL ON EITHER SIDE OF THE PANEL. THE AIRPLANE WAS LAST FLOWN ON 28 FEBRUARY 2023 ON TWO DIFFERENT FLIGHTS BY THE SAME PIC. THE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ASSERTS THAT THE PIC IS AT FAULT FOR THE DAMAGE. DURING INTERVIEW, THE PIC CLAIMED HE DID NOT CAUSE THE DAMAGE BUT DID AGREE HE FAILED TO SEE THE DAMAGE DURING PRE AND POST FLIGHT INSPECTION. HE WAS COUNSELED ON THE OPERATING A NON-AIRWORTHY AIRCRAFT IN THE NAS. WHILE THE DAMAGE WAS MOST LIKELY FROM A TAIL STRIKE, THE AIRPLANE IS PARKED DIRECTLY ACROSS FROM A HELICOPTER LANDING POINT. THERE IS A POSSIBILITY IF A HELICOPTER DEPARTED OR LANDED TO THE POINT BY DIRECTLY OVERFLYING THE AIRPLANE, THE ROTOR DOWNWASH COULD HAVE CAUSED THE TAIL TO GO DOWNWARD AND MAKE CONTACT WITH THE GROUND. NO DIRECT PERSON OR ACTIVITY CAN BE TIED TO THE DAMAGE AT THIS TIME.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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