Cirrus Design CORP SR20 accident near Muncie, Indiana, July 14, 2023
On July 14, 2023 at about 11:30 pm local time, a 2006 Cirrus Design CORP SR20, registered N653GS, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Muncie, Indiana (Delaware County Rgnl airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of directional control during the landing roll due to the left wheel seizing from insufficient grease in the left wheel bearing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 14, 2023 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Muncie, Indiana · Delaware County Rgnl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cirrus Design CORP SR20 NO SERIES, built 2006
- Registration
- N653GS · registry record · serial 1698
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
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.
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
- Loss of control on ground during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Grease › Fluid level
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 796 hours in all; 87 in this make and model; 22 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 708 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 7, 2023
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 660 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 12, 2022
- Maximum gross weight: 3,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental unknown (piston); 660 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FWA Ft Wayne IN at 11:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 32, 6,500 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.88 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from KMIE
Weather report (METAR): MIE 150053Z 19005KT 10SM CLR 29/19 A2988 RMK AO2 SLP106 T02890189
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN23LA429.