Cirrus Design CORP SR22 incident near Lakeland, Florida, October 5, 2008
On October 5, 2008 at about 4:30 pm local time, a Cirrus Design CORP SR22, registered N101CD, suffered minor damage in an incident during approach (VFR pattern downwind) near Lakeland, Florida (Lakeland Linder Regional Apt. 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A failure of the flap actuator rod end due to low stress, high cycle fatigue, and subsequent overstress failure.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 5, 2008 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Lakeland, Florida · Lakeland Linder Regional Apt. · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cirrus Design CORP SR22
- Registration
- N101CD · registry record · serial 0101
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While approaching the destination airport, the pilot attempted to extend the flaps to the 50-precent position. After moving the selector, the pilot heard a "bang" and the airplane rolled right. The pilot maintained control of the airplane, and after landing noted that the flaps were extended asymmetrically. Post-incident examination of the flap system revealed that flap actuator rod end was bent 90 degrees, and broken. No other anomalies of the flap system were found. The condition of the flap actuator rod end suggested that the rod end was bent initially while retracting the flaps, an action associated with extension of the flap actuator. This resulted in cracks forming at the thread roots along the outer bend. Subsequent attempts to extend the flaps placed the rod end under a reverse bending moment that acted to straighten the rod end. The manufacturer's assessment of the situation in a service bulletin concluded that the flaps could have been retracted beyond the full up position, possibly due to a sensor failure, initially bending the rod end. During a subsequent deployment, during the incident flight, the flaps over-deployed and allowed the flap actuator linkages to over-center. The rod end subsequently failed, and allowed the asymmetric flap condition.
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
- Flight control sys malf/fail during approach (VFR pattern downwind) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Flight control system › TE flap actuator › Failure
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,450 hours in all; 350 in this make and model; 1,400 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 20, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,040 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 25, 2008
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor IO-550 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Tiger Jones Aircraft INC
The flight
- Departed from: DAB Daytona Beach FL at 4:00 pm
- Destination: LAL Lakeland FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 09, 8,500 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 080° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 12 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,900 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.09 inHg
- Observation at 4:50 pm from LAL
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.
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.