Cirrus Design CORP SR22T incident near Paso Robles, California, November 7, 2015
On November 7, 2015 at about 8:34 pm local time, a 2014 Cirrus Design CORP SR22T, registered N999VX, suffered minor damage in an incident during landing (landing roll) near Paso Robles, California (Paso Robles Muni airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 5 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
- November 7, 2015 · about 8:34 pm local time
- Place
- Paso Robles, California · Paso Robles Muni · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cirrus Design CORP SR22T NO SERIES, built 2014
- Registration
- N999VX · no longer on the register · serial 0871
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot was landing the airplane when, during the landing roll, the nose landing gear collapsed. Examination revealed that the nose landing gear had separated, and metallurgical testing showed that the failure was the result of high stress fatigue cracking due to sideways bending from one side. The crack was through the strut tube located at the forward edges (toes) of the gusset tube where it welds to the main strut tube. No other anomalies were identified with the landing gear. Further testing revealed that shimmy events or nonstandard towing procedures could result in the cracks and eventual separation of the nose gear. Similar incidents have occurred involving the same nosewheel design. As a result, the airplane manufacturer released a service bulletin to inspect for cracking and a service advisory related to appropriate towing procedures. Additionally, the manufacturer updated the design of the nose landing gear 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
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Nose/tail landing gear › Fatigue/wear/corrosion
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Nose/tail landing gear › Design
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Nose/tail landing gear › Capability exceeded
Dual student
- Flight time: 140 hours in all; 140 in this make and model
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,000 hours in all; 390 in this make and model; 94 in the last 90 days; 17 in the last 30 days; 900 as pilot in command; 700 on instruments
- Last flight review: November 1, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental Motors TSIO-550-K (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SMO Santa Monica CA at 7:45 pm
- Destination: PRB Paso Robles CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 31, 4,701 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 158°F (70°C), dew point 99°F (37°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from PRB
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.