Cirrus Design CORP SR20 accident near Charleston, West Virginia, August 24, 2025
On August 24, 2025 at about 11:30 pm local time, a 2024 Cirrus Design CORP SR20, registered N241MU, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Charleston, West Virginia (West Virginia Intl Yeager airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A flat left main landing gear tire, which resulted in a loss of directional control and runway excursion during landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 24, 2025 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Charleston, West Virginia · West Virginia Intl Yeager · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cirrus Design CORP SR20, built 2024
- Registration
- N241MU · registry record · serial 10052
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor reported that he and the student pilot were on the return leg of a cross-country flight. As the student pilot was landing the airplane at their home airport, the touchdown was normal, but the airplane immediately veered left. The flight instructor took control of the airplane and attempted to correct, but the airplane continued off the left side of the runway. The left wing struck a runway sign, resulting substantial damage to the left wing, and the airplane came to rest upright in a grass area off the left side of the runway. Examination of the wreckage by a mechanic and a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed a flat spot and gashes on the left main landing gear tire, consistent with the tire being flat upon touchdown.
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
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during landing defining event
- Loss of control on ground during landing
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Tire casing › Failure
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Attain/maintain not possible
Flight instructor
- Certificate: commercial pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 943 hours in all; 708 in this make and model; 139 in the last 90 days; 28 in the last 30 days; 845 as pilot in command; 614 on instruments
- Last flight review: July 27, 2025
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 50 hours in all; 50 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 4 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 508 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 22, 2025; 12 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-390-C3B6 (piston); 508 hours total
- Operator: Marshall University
The flight
- Departed from: PKB Parkersburg WV at 10:45 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 23, 6,715 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 11,000 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 29.86 inHg
- Observation at 7:54 pm from CRW
Weather report (METAR): METAR KCRW 242354Z 22005KT 10SM SCT110 27/15 A2986 RMK AO2 SLP102 T02670150 10311 20267 53000 $=
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Photographs from the investigation 1 picture from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
The NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on December 4, 2025. 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.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 12 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandum for the Record - FAA Inspector | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Mechanic Statement | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Investigation Photograph | PDF, 2 pages · our copy | View Download |
| 5 | Crw Airport Video (1 Minute, 40 Seconds, Avi, 9MB) | AVI file | Download |
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.