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20230721011869I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Cirrus Design SR20 · Miami, FL · July 21, 2023

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
July 21, 2023 · 17:00 local
Place
Miami, FL
Airport
Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airp
Phase of flight
Taxi
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N787UM
Reported as
Cirrus Design SR20
Reported engine
Lycoming IO-390-C3B6
People aboard
3
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
N787UMRegistered now · Cirrus Design SR20S/N 2775 · Built 2021Airframe modelCirrus Design SR20Engine modelLycoming IO-390-C3B6Reciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Part 65/91 operation Cirrus SR20, registration privacy data omitted serial number 2775, with two pilots and one passenger, was struck by lightning while preforming engine run-up on taxiway. No injuries to aircraft occupants. Light strike causing parachute rocket recovery system to activate and launching. Light strike struck comm 1 antenna flowing thru aircraft exiting main landing gear. The lighting discharge left 3 cone shape holes and pavement fragments next to aircraft main landing gear.

Cfi/pilot stated they were in the designated runup area east of taxiway N8 at kopf. Shortly after they had finished our runup, decided to listen to the new ATIS broadcast that ground control advised all aircraft was current. Just as they listened to ATIS they saw a flash and an immediate loud bang that shook the entire airplane. Cfi/pilot stated noticing a bit of smoke coming from the cargo area and thought at first that there may have been a potential fire in the tail section and did notice something moving around the empennage. Shutting the engine down and secured the fuel valve, realized that the sulfur smell was from the caps system ballistic rocket which the lighting strike had triggered the caps system to deploy.

As the FAA filed it

PART 65/91 OPERATION CIRRUS SR20, REGISTRATION ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ SERIAL NUMBER 2775, WITH TWO PILOTS AND ONE PASSENGER, WAS STRUCK BY LIGHTNING WHILE PREFORMING ENGINE RUN-UP ON TAXIWAY. NO INJURIES TO AIRCRAFT OCCUPANTS. LIGHT STRIKE CAUSING PARACHUTE ROCKET RECOVERY SYSTEM TO ACTIVATE AND LAUNCHING. LIGHT STRIKE STRUCK COMM 1 ANTENNA FLOWING THRU AIRCRAFT EXITING MAIN LANDING GEAR. THE LIGHTING DISCHARGE LEFT 3 CONE SHAPE HOLES AND PAVEMENT FRAGMENTS NEXT TO AIRCRAFT MAIN LANDING GEAR.

CFI/PILOT STATED THEY WERE IN THE DESIGNATED RUNUP AREA EAST OF TAXIWAY N8 AT KOPF. SHORTLY AFTER THEY HAD FINISHED OUR RUNUP, DECIDED TO LISTEN TO THE NEW ATIS BROADCAST THAT GROUND CONTROL ADVISED ALL AIRCRAFT WAS CURRENT. JUST AS THEY LISTENED TO ATIS THEY SAW A FLASH AND AN IMMEDIATE LOUD BANG THAT SHOOK THE ENTIRE AIRPLANE. CFI/PILOT STATED NOTICING A BIT OF SMOKE COMING FROM THE CARGO AREA AND THOUGHT AT FIRST THAT THERE MAY HAVE BEEN A POTENTIAL FIRE IN THE TAIL SECTION AND DID NOTICE SOMETHING MOVING AROUND THE EMPENNAGE. SHUTTING THE ENGINE DOWN AND SECURED THE FUEL VALVE, REALIZED THAT THE SULFUR SMELL WAS FROM THE CAPS SYSTEM BALLISTIC ROCKET WHICH THE LIGHTING STRIKE HAD TRIGGERED THE CAPS SYSTEM TO DEPLOY.