Cirrus SR22 incident near Scottsdale, Arizona, August 27, 2015
On August 27, 2015 at about 9:05 pm local time, a 2014 Cirrus SR22, registered N915TD, suffered minor damage in an incident during landing (landing roll) near Scottsdale, Arizona (Scottsdale airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the nose landing gear due to unanticipated fatigue loads.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 27, 2015 · about 9:05 pm local time
- Place
- Scottsdale, Arizona · Scottsdale · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cirrus SR22, built 2014 · all SR22s on the register
- Registration
- N915TD · registry record · serial 4098
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
***This report was modified on August 1, 2018. Please see the docket for this incident to view the original report.*** While the pilot receiving instruction was landing the airplane, the main landing gear touched down first; as he was slowly lowering the nose landing gear (NLG) to the runway, he felt a "shimmy" in the NLG. Despite applying back pressure to lift the weight off the NLG, the airplane's nose slowly started falling forward, and the nosewheel collapsed. Postincident examination of the airplane revealed that the NLG was fractured through the strut tube adjacent to the forward edge of the gusset tube attachment welds. Metallurgical testing revealed that the failure was the result of high-stress fatigue cracking due to sideways bending from one side. No mechanical or metallurgical anomalies were noted with the NLG. After the incident, the airplane manufacturer conducted structural testing of the NLG, which revealed that shimmy events or nonstandard towing could result in cracks and the eventual separation of the NLG. As a result, the airplane manufacturer issued two service advisory letters, which outlined appropriate towing and inspection procedures. The airplane manufacturer also issued a series of service bulletins, which, in part, recommended that all NLG on the affected airplanes be inspected for cracks in the welds between the strut tube and the gusset tubes and that postshimmy inspections also be conducted to look for cracks in this area. Additionally, the airplane manufacturer updated the design of the NLG to increase the strength of the strut tube.
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
- Landing gear collapse during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Miscellaneous/other during landing (landing roll)
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Nose/tail landing gear › Fatigue/wear/corrosion
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Nose/tail landing gear › Capability exceeded
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Nose/tail landing gear › Failure
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 783 hours in all; 60 in this make and model; 326 in the last 90 days; 88 in the last 30 days; 699 as pilot in command; 539 on instruments
- Last flight review: January 20, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Flight time: 500 hours in all; 365 in this make and model; 17 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: January 20, 2015
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 391.4 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 27, 2015; 93 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental Motors IO-550 (piston); 391 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FLG Flagstaff AZ at 8:00 pm
- Destination: SDL Scottsdale AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 210, 8,249 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 104°F (40°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.93 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from SDL
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 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 WPR15IA252.