Cirrus Design CORP SR22 incident near Greenville, South Carolina, June 1, 2009
On June 1, 2009 at about 7:00 pm local time, a Cirrus Design CORP SR22, registered N695CD, was involved in an incident during approach (VFR pattern final) near Greenville, South Carolina (Greenville Downtown Airport). It was an other work-use 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 pitch control malfunction for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 1, 2009 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Greenville, South Carolina · Greenville Downtown Airport · 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
- N695CD · no longer on the register · serial 1372
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Other work-use flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was "returning the airplane to service," following a maintenance inspection. No anomalies were noted during the preflight inspection, engine start, taxi, run-up, and takeoff roll. As the airplane became airborne, the pilot noticed that the elevator control felt "loose," with about 1/2 inch of "play." The pilot proceeded to an area west of the airport, where the he performed in-fight checks uneventfully. As the airplane was returning to the airport, on short final approach, the pilot reduced the throttle to idle power for landing. Subsequently, about 25 feet above the ground, the nose pitched down. The pilot tried to pull back on the control yoke to flare, but the elevator control was stuck in the mid-range position. The airplane touched down on the nose gear and bounced back up into the air. The sudden jolt of the touchdown seemed to free the elevator control and the pilot was able to complete a normal landing. As the pilot taxied from the runway, he was able to duplicate the control jam. The operator noted that the pitch trim cartridge control rod felt "gritty" when actuated by hand. The operator subsequently reported that the anomaly did not reoccur after the pitch trim cartridge was removed and replaced. In addition, the operator did not report any work performed on the pitch trim cartridge during the recent maintenance inspection. Further examination of the airplane's pitch trim cartridge revealed some corrosion and black grease residue present; however, there was no conclusive evidence found to support a flight control jam.
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 final) defining event
- Abnormal runway contact during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 12,000 hours in all; 1,000 in this make and model; 87 in the last 90 days; 22 in the last 30 days; 11,650 as pilot in command; 6,000 on instruments
- Last flight review: January 26, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,562 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 31, 2009; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental Motors IO-550-N (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Satsair LLC
The flight
- Departed from: GMU Greenville SC at 6:30 pm
- Destination: GMU Greenville SC
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 10, 3,998 ft by 80 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 30.09 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from GMU
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.