# Incident 20230721011869I: Cirrus Design Corp SR20, Miami, FL, July 21, 2023

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 21, 2023, 17:00 local time
- Place: Miami, FL
- Airport: Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airp
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Taxi
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 25.9074° N, 80.2782° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at MIAMI-OPA LOCKA EXEC (OPF), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=25.9074&lon=-80.2782&mi=10
- Aircraft: N787UM, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N787UM) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cirrus Design SR20 (registry code 2130000, https://openairdocs.org/model/cirrus-design-sr20) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming IO-390-C3B6 (registry code 42710, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-390-c3b6) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CIRRUS DESIGN CORP SR20
- Reported engine: LYCOMING IO-390-C3B6
- People aboard: 3
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20230721011869I

## Narrative

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

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.

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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