Summary
On November 24, 2010, a Flight Design Gmbh CTSW (N459CT) was involved in an accident near Fullerton, CA. The accident resulted in 2 minor injuries. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this accident to be: The pilot's improper flare during landing.
The pilot was performing the third landing attempt in the light sport airplane. He reported aborting the prior attempts due to the approach being too high and fast. On the third landing, he descended to about 10 feet over the runway, when a gust of wind blew the airplane to the right, and over the taxiway. He countered with rudder and left control stick input, and the airplane returned to the runway. He allowed the airspeed to degrade, and the airplane landed hard on the nose and left wheel. The nose gear subsequently collapsed, and the airplane veered off the runway and nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer and wings during the accident sequence. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunction or failures.
This accident is documented in NTSB report WPR11CA057. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N459CT.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot's improper flare during landing.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
The pilot was performing the third landing attempt in the light sport airplane. He reported aborting the prior attempts due to the approach being too high and fast. On the third landing, he descended to about 10 feet over the runway, when a gust of wind blew the airplane to the right, and over the taxiway. He countered with rudder and left control stick input, and the airplane returned to the runway. He allowed the airspeed to degrade, and the airplane landed hard on the nose and left wheel. The nose gear subsequently collapsed, and the airplane veered off the runway and nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer and wings during the accident sequence. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunction or failures.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# WPR11CA057