NTSB Factual Report

On February 6, 2010, approximately 1130 eastern standard time, a Cirrus Design Corporation, SR22, N155ZS, nosed over while landing at Indiantown Airport (X58), Indiantown, Florida. The certificated airline transport pilot and passenger sustained minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight, which departed from Gainesville Regional Airport (GNV), Gainesville, Florida and had a destination of Palm Beach International Airport (PBI), West Palm Beach, Florida. The flight was conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.

The flight originated in Medford, Oregon a few days prior to the accident and the airplane was being transported to a new owner at the time of the accident. The aircraft was refueled at Walnut Ridge Regional Airport (ARG), Walnut Ridge, Arkansas, on February 5, 2010 and was fueled with 41.9 gallons of 100LL aviation fuel. The aircraft was then flown from ARG to GNV, where it remained overnight. There were no records found to show the aircraft was refueled at GNV.

The flight departed GNV about 0915 on the day of the accident. While enroute to PBI the passenger became ill and the pilot diverted to X58. During landing the nose wheel created a furrow in the turf runway for approximately 30 feet and then dug into the runway causing the airplane to nose over. The airplane came to rest inverted with the nose of the airplane heading towards the south.

The pilot reported to the Safety Board that during the landing roll the airplane had started to oscillate, he was unable to regain control, the nose wheel separated, and the airplane nosed over. The pilot also reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions with the airplane prior to the accident.

According to the pilot and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records, he held an airline transport pilot certificate with a rating for airplane multi-engine land and a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land and rotorcraft-helicopter. His most recent FAA first-class medical was issued on December 7, 2009. The pilot reported 16,000 total hours of flight experience of which 109 total hours of flight experience was in the accident airplane make and model.

Photographs taken of the airplane at the accident scene revealed that the right side of the nose was damaged and one blade of the Hartzell three bladed propeller was impact separated. Approximately two feet of the outboard section of the right wing was bent downward, the top cap of the rudder was damaged, and the area preceding the vertical stabilizer on the empennage exhibited compression damage. The ballistic recovery system and the Amsafe seatbelt airbags did not deployed during the accident sequence.

The FAA inspector on scene reported that control continuity was confirmed on all surfaces and that the damage to the propellers indicated that the engine was operating at the time of the accident. Photographs taken by the FAA inspector revealed that approximately 80 feet prior to where the airplane came to rest the nose wheel began creating a furrow in the turf runway. According to a phone interview, conducted by the NTSB investigator with the Martin County Sheriff's deputy in charge, the nose wheel come in contact with the runway first, followed by the main landing gear, and then the airplane began to oscillate.

According to aircraft maintenance records, the airplane was manufactured in 2008 and was issued a standard airworthiness certificate on July 31, 2008. It was equipped with a Teledyne Continental Motors IO-550-N51B engine. The most recent 50 hour/100 hour/annual inspection was completed on August 10, 2009 and at that time had accrued 55.3 total hours time in service. A pre-purchase inspection was completed on February 2, 2010 and at that time had accrued 71.6 total hours of time in service.

The privately owned airport had a single turf runway oriented southeast and northwest which was 6,300-feet-long and 75-feet-wide.

The 1147 weather observation at Witham Field Airport (SUA), Stuart, Florida approximately 15 miles northeast of the accident location, included winds from 270 degrees at 20 knots with gust of 27 knots, broken clouds at 2,000 feet above ground level (agl) and overcast at 3,500 feet agl, temperature 22 degrees C, dew point 14 degrees C, and an altimeter setting of 29.80 inches of mercury.

NTSB Probable Cause

The pilot's improper landing flare, which resulted in damage to the nose landing gear and the airplane nosing over.