Accident Overview
On July 14, 2023, at 1930 central daylight time, a Cirrus SR20, registration N653GS, was substantially damaged during a landing accident at Delaware County Regional Airport (MIE) in Muncie, Indiana. The pilot, who was the sole occupant, was not injured. The flight was conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight.
Pilot Report
The pilot reported that upon touchdown, the airplane veered to the left and the nosewheel began to shimmy. Despite applying full right rudder to maintain directional control, the aircraft exited the left side of the runway. It then rolled down a small hill and came to rest in a drainage ditch. The pilot speculated that the left main landing gear tire had seized due to a mechanical malfunction, causing the leftward deviation.
Discovery of Damage
Substantial damage was not identified until February 15, 2024, during an annual inspection. At that time, a crack was discovered in the lower fuselage behind the pilot seat, extending up the aft spar to the back passenger seat area.
Postaccident Examination
A postaccident examination determined that the left wheel bearing lacked sufficient grease, which led to the seizure of the left wheel. According to the Cirrus SR20 Airplane Maintenance Manual section 05-20, repacking the wheel bearings with grease is a required task during the annual inspection. The airplane had received its most recent annual inspection in Fort Wayne, Indiana, in September 2022. The mechanic who signed off on that inspection stated that greasing the wheel bearings would have been part of the annual inspection checklist, but he could not recall whether the task was actually performed. The airframe annual inspection logbook entry indicated that the inspection was completed in accordance with Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 43, using the manufacturer's maintenance manual as a guide.