Cirrus SR22 accident near Granbury, Texas, August 20, 2018
On August 20, 2018 at about 1:19 am local time, a 2015 Cirrus SR22, registered N1133T, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Granbury, Texas (Granbury Rgnl airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during a crosswind landing, which resulted in the airplane exiting the runway and impacting a ditch, tree, and fence.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 20, 2018 · about 1:19 am local time
- Place
- Granbury, Texas · Granbury Rgnl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cirrus SR22 T, built 2015 · all SR22s on the register
- Registration
- N1133T · no longer on the register · serial 1030
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was practicing instrument flight rules approaches and was returning for a landing with a light crosswind during dusk visual meteorological conditions. He disengaged the autopilot using the panel autopilot button. All flight controls seemed to perform normally. The right turn to base and right turn to final were made normally. On final approach, the pilot made minimal rudder inputs. As the pilot started to flare the airplane, he started putting in more rudder inputs. However, he could not depress the left rudder pedal fully. The airplane touched down about 80 knots on the main landing gear while the pilot was holding all the left rudder he could. The airplane started to veer to the right and continued off the runway, where it impacted a ditch, fence, and tree; the airplane sustained substantial damage to a wing and the fuselage. The pilot indicated that the yaw damper was on when he landed. However, the airplane was equipped with a recoverable data module that recorded the flight's configuration and navigation data, which indicated that the yaw damper was off about 1/4 mile before the landing runway threshold. Given the available information, the pilot likely did not maintain directional control of the airplane during the crosswind landing.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Collision during takeoff/land during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Contributed to outcome
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Fence/fence post › Contributed to outcome
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Rough terrain › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 580 hours in all; 20 in this make and model
- Last flight review: May 26, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 250 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 1, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental TSIO550K (piston); 250 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KGDJ Granbury TX
- Destination: KGDJ Granbury TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 14, 3,603 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 120° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 93°F (34°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.84 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
14 documents, released by the NTSB on July 8, 2020. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.