# NTSB CEN23LA429: Cirrus Design SR20, N653GS, Muncie, IN, July 14, 2023

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report
- Date: July 14, 2023, 19:30 local (23:30 UTC)
- Place: Muncie, IN · Runway 32 at MIE.
- Coordinates: 40.236372, -85.390391 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.2364&lon=-85.3904&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Landing-flare/touchdown: Loss of control on ground](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 1 uninjured
- Status: Completed
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class: Class 3
- NTSB office: Central Region
- Parties: FAA Indianaoplis FSDO
- NTSB case key (mKey): 193794
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN23LA429
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/193794/pdf
- NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=193794
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN23LA429

## Probable cause

A loss of directional control during the landing roll due to the left wheel seizing from insufficient grease in the left wheel bearing.

## Findings

NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause.

- [Fluids: grease](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071035): Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware · Fluid level (probable cause); cases with it: [Cirrus Design SR20, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071035/cases.md?model=2130000), [All aircraft, 6 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071035/cases.md)

## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Landing-flare/touchdown: Loss of control on ground](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230) (defining event); cases with it: [Cirrus Design SR20, 16 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230/sequence.md?model=2130000), [All aircraft, 4,585 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230/sequence.md)
- [Landing-landing roll: Attempted remediation/recovery](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/060); cases with it: [Cirrus Design SR20, 13 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/060/sequence.md?model=2130000), [All aircraft, 1,422 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/060/sequence.md)
- [Landing-flare/touchdown: Runway excursion](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300); cases with it: [Cirrus Design SR20, 22 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300/sequence.md?model=2130000), [All aircraft, 3,643 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300/sequence.md)

## Analysis

The pilot reported that during the landing roll the left wheel locked up, the nosewheel shimmied, and the airplane pulled to the left. The pilot tried to correct with right rudder; however, the airplane veered off the runway, rolled down a small hill, and came to rest in a drainage ditch. Substantial damage was not found until February 15, 2024, when the airplane underwent an annual inspection. During the annual inspection, a crack was found in the lower fuselage that ran up the aft spar to the back passenger seat. A postaccident examination of the left wheel revealed that the left wheel bearing lacked sufficient grease, which resulted in the left wheel seizure.

## Factual narrative

On July 14, 2023, at 1930 central daylight time, a Cirrus SR20, N653GS, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident at the Delaware County Regional Airport (MIE) in Muncie, Indiana. The pilot was not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot reported that upon touchdown, the airplane veered left, and the nosewheel began to shimmy. The pilot applied full right rudder to keep the airplane on the runway but the airplane exited the left side of the runway, rolled down a small hill, and came to rest in a drainage ditch. The pilot stated that he believed the left main landing gear tire seized due to a mechanical malfunction, which caused the airplane to veer to the left. Substantial damage was not found until February 15, 2024, when the airplane underwent an annual inspection. During the annual inspection, a crack was found in the lower fuselage behind the pilot seat that ran up the aft spar to the back passenger seat. A postaccident examination revealed that the left wheel bearing lacked sufficient grease, which resulted in the left wheel seizure. The airplane had an annual inspection in Fort Wayne, Indiana, in September 2022. According to the Cirrus SR20 Airplane Maintenance Manual section 05-20, part of the annual inspection includes repacking the wheel bearings with grease. The mechanic who signed off on the annual inspection stated that greasing the wheel bearings would have been part of the annual inspection checklist, but he could not recall whether the wheel bearings had been greased. The airframe annual inspection logbook entry indicated that the inspection was completed in accordance with Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 43, with the manufacturer maintenance manual as a guide.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N653GS](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N653GS), registered now, S/N 1698 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CIRRUS DESIGN CORP SR20 (NO SERIES)
- Registry model: [Cirrus Design SR20](https://openairdocs.org/model/cirrus-design-sr20) (registry code 2130000) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 1698
- Year built: 2006
- Airframe hours: 660
- Engines: Continental unknown 200 hp reciprocating
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Registered owner: Vision Aviation LLC
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal
- Last inspection: Annual, September 12, 2022
- Departed: FWA, Ft Wayne, IN
- Destination: Same as departure
- Airport: MIE, Delaware County Rgnl, runway 32, 6,500 × 150 ft, asphalt
- Equipment: Electronic primary flight display, Onboard weather, Stall warning system, ADS-B, Airframe parachute, Electronic multifunction display, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Auto-pilot

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 71; injuries: none; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3, with waivers/limitations; last flight review June 7, 2023; seat: left; restraint: 3-point; flight hours: 796 total, 87 in this make and model, 708 as pilot in command, 22 in the last 90 days, 7 in the last 30 days, 2 in the last 24 hours

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: 190° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Temperature: 84 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter: 29.88 inHg
- Observed at: KMIE
- METAR: MIE 150053Z 19005KT 10SM CLR 29/19 A2988 RMK AO2 SLP106 T02890189

## FAA reports on this event (1)

The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs).

- [Accident 20230714010229A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20230714010229A), Jul 14, 2023: Cirrus Design Corp SR20, Muncie, IN, Substantial damage. At approximately 1917 EDT, while landing on runway 32 at mie, Cirrus SR20 experienced severe nose gear shimmy, veered off left side of runway and came to a…

## Docket (6 files)

The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 9, 2024, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=193794. 3.5 MB in all.

- Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 9 pages, 1.7 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=16759831&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=6120_1_Fillable_unlocked-1-Rel.pdf_Redacted.pdf
- Photos (item 2, PDF, 3 pages, 723 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=16842095&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=photo%20array-Rel.pdf
- Maintenance records (item 3, PDF, 1 page, 864 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=16843461&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=N653GS%20-%20logbook%20pages_Redacted-Rel.pdf
- Service manual (item 4, PDF, 1 page, 28 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=16860178&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Service%20Manual-Rel.pdf
- Memorandum for record a�� telephone interview, sweet aviation mechanic (item 5, PDF, 1 page, 64 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=16843380&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=MOR%20-%20mechanic%20Sweet%20Aviation-Rel.pdf
- Memorandum for record a�� telephone interview, muncie aviation service manager (item 6, PDF, 1 page, 63 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=16843145&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=MOR%20-%20mechanic%20Muncie%20Aviation-Rel.pdf

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

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