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20090822049069A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Flight Desi Ctsw · Okeechobee, FL · August 22, 2009

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Date
August 22, 2009 · 10:29 local
Place
Okeechobee, FL
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N535CT
Reported as
Flight Desi Ctsw
Reported engine
ROTAX 912ULS
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
1
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
6,500 total235 in this make and model13 in the last 90 days

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

I was contacted by FAA communication center on August 22, 2009, and was assigned to an accident that had occurred in the vicinity of Okeechobee, Florida, in a pasture located 3 miles east of Okeechobee county airport (obe) and in the vicinity of the intersection of highway 70 and highway 441 in Okeechobee, Florida. I traveled to the accident site on August 22, 2009. The airplane is registered to and was operated by privacy data omitted. The pilot stated in a statement to the NTSB investigator in charge that he was on climb out from obe less than 1,250 feet mean sea level, at full power when he heard a grinding noise followed by a total loss of engine power. He observed a pasture straight ahead, headed for it, and made a mayday call over the airplane radio. He did not deploy the ballistic parachute because he was too low and homes were in the area. He flared the airplane; it touched down hard in the soft sandy soil, bounced, and touched down again. The main landing gear sank in the sand, and the airplane nosed over inverted. The airplane and pilot logbooks were not located at the accident site. However, copies of the logbooks were provided by the owner through the NTSB iic. The Flight design gmbh, model Ctsw, N535CT is a two-place experimental light sport airplane with a fixed tricycle landing gear, serial number 07-05-01, registered on September 26, 2007. A Rotax 912 uls, 100 horsepower engine powers the airplane. Review of the airplane logbooks revealed the last condition inspection was conducted on June 11, 2009, and the hobbs meter at the accident site indicated 232.3 total hours. Review of spas information revealed the pilot holds a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single engine land, and airplane multiengine land, and instrument airplane issued on August 29, 2000. The pilot’s logbook indicates the last Flight review was conducted on may 5, 2008. The pilot holds a third-class medical certificate issued on October 19, 2006, with the limitation must wear corrective lenses. The pilot informed the NTSB investigator in charge that he has 6,000 total Flight hours of which about 235 hours are in the Flight design Ctsw. The pilot has 230 hours in this make and model and 13 hours in the last 90 days. Examination of the crash site revealed the airplane collided with the ground on the main landing gear, bounced back in the air, collided with the ground and went forward about 50 feet before it nosed over and came to rest inverted on a heading of 250 degrees magnetic. The engine assembly remained attached to the airframe and the engine cowling was intact. The spinner exhibited no evidence of rotation during impact. All three propeller blades were damaged and attached the propeller crankshaft flange. The forward cabin area was slightly damaged. The throttle was in the closed position and the carburetor heat was in the off position. The fuel selector valve was in the off position. Continuity of the Flight controls was confirmed from the Flight controls aft to all Flight control surfaces. T he aircraft registration and the special airworthiness certificate were located in the airplane. The left and right landing gear were attached to the airframe. The right wing remained attached to the airframe and, other than the standpipe for the fuel vent, was or was not damaged. The right wing leading edge was not damaged. The right main fuel tank was not ruptured, the fuel cap had a tight seal and fuel was not present. Browning of vegetation was not present on the ground. The right flap and right aileron were not damaged and remained attached to their attachment points. The empennage aft of the pilot’s compartment was not damaged. The rudder, left and right horizontal stabilizers and elevators were not damaged. The vertical fin was damage on top as a result of contact with the ground when the aircraft nosed over. The right elevator trim tab was in the neutral position. The left wing remained attached to the airframe and, other than the standpipe for the fuel vent, was not damaged. The left wing leading edge was not damaged. The left main fuel tank was not ruptured, the fuel cap had a tight seal and fuel was present. Browning of vegetation was not present on the ground. The left flap and left aileron were not damaged and remained attached to their attachment points. The airplane was recovered to lockwood aviation in sebring Florida and examined on September 9, 2009. The aircraft was in the same condition it was in at the accident site except the wings and elevators had been removed. Approximately 11 gallons of clear uncontaminated fuel had been removed from the aircraft tanks. The oil filter and fuel gascolator were checked for evidence of contamination and none was found. A replacement oil filter was installed and the gascolator reinstalled. A makeshift fuel tank was used to hold some of the fuel removed from the aircraft and the engine was run. The engine started with a small amount of difficult, probably as a result of oil fouled plugs. When it started, the engine ran normally at idle. The engine speed was increased to 2500 RPM and eventually to 4000 RPM with no abnormalities noted. Due to the nature of the tie down method, the engine was not run at a higher RPM. The engine functioned normally.

As the FAA filed it

I WAS CONTACTED BY FAA COMMUNICATION CENTER ON AUGUST 22, 2009, AND WAS ASSIGNED TO AN ACCIDENT THAT HAD OCCURRED IN THE VICINITY OF OKEECHOBEE, FLORIDA, IN A PASTURE LOCATED 3 MILES EAST OF OKEECHOBEE COUNTY AIRPORT (OBE) AND IN THE VICINITY OF THE INTERSECTION OF HIGHWAY 70 AND HIGHWAY 441 IN OKEECHOBEE, FLORIDA. I TRAVELED TO THE ACCIDENT SITE ON AUGUST 22, 2009. THE AIRPLANE IS REGISTERED TO AND WAS OPERATED BY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. THE PILOT STATED IN A STATEMENT TO THE NTSB INVESTIGATOR IN CHARGE THAT HE WAS ON CLIMB OUT FROM OBE LESS THAN 1,250 FEET MEAN SEA LEVEL, AT FULL POWER WHEN HE HEARD A GRINDING NOISE FOLLOWED BY A TOTAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. HE OBSERVED A PASTURE STRAIGHT AHEAD, HEADED FOR IT, AND MADE A MAYDAY CALL OVER THE AIRPLANE RADIO. HE DID NOT DEPLOY THE BALLISTIC PARACHUTE BECAUSE HE WAS TOO LOW AND HOMES WERE IN THE AREA. HE FLARED THE AIRPLANE; IT TOUCHED DOWN HARD IN THE SOFT SANDY SOIL, BOUNCED, AND TOUCHED DOWN AGAIN. THE MAIN LANDING GEAR SANK IN THE SAND, AND THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER INVERTED. THE AIRPLANE AND PILOT LOGBOOKS WERE NOT LOCATED AT THE ACCIDENT SITE. HOWEVER, COPIES OF THE LOGBOOKS WERE PROVIDED BY THE OWNER THROUGH THE NTSB IIC. THE FLIGHT DESIGN GMBH, MODEL CTSW, N535CT IS A TWO-PLACE EXPERIMENTAL LIGHT SPORT AIRPLANE WITH A FIXED TRICYCLE LANDING GEAR, SERIAL NUMBER 07-05-01, REGISTERED ON SEPTEMBER 26, 2007. A ROTAX 912 ULS, 100 HORSEPOWER ENGINE POWERS THE AIRPLANE. REVIEW OF THE AIRPLANE LOGBOOKS REVEALED THE LAST CONDITION INSPECTION WAS CONDUCTED ON JUNE 11, 2009, AND THE HOBBS METER AT THE ACCIDENT SITE INDICATED 232.3 TOTAL HOURS. REVIEW OF SPAS INFORMATION REVEALED THE PILOT HOLDS A COMMERCIAL PILOT CERTIFICATE WITH RATINGS FOR AIRPLANE SINGLE ENGINE LAND, AND AIRPLANE MULTIENGINE LAND, AND INSTRUMENT AIRPLANE ISSUED ON AUGUST 29, 2000. THE PILOT’S LOGBOOK INDICATES THE LAST FLIGHT REVIEW WAS CONDUCTED ON MAY 5, 2008. THE PILOT HOLDS A THIRD-CLASS MEDICAL CERTIFICATE ISSUED ON OCTOBER 19, 2006, WITH THE LIMITATION MUST WEAR CORRECTIVE LENSES. THE PILOT INFORMED THE NTSB INVESTIGATOR IN CHARGE THAT HE HAS 6,000 TOTAL FLIGHT HOURS OF WHICH ABOUT 235 HOURS ARE IN THE FLIGHT DESIGN CTSW. THE PILOT HAS 230 HOURS IN THIS MAKE AND MODEL AND 13 HOURS IN THE LAST 90 DAYS. EXAMINATION OF THE CRASH SITE REVEALED THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND ON THE MAIN LANDING GEAR, BOUNCED BACK IN THE AIR, COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND AND WENT FORWARD ABOUT 50 FEET BEFORE IT NOSED OVER AND CAME TO REST INVERTED ON A HEADING OF 250 DEGREES MAGNETIC. THE ENGINE ASSEMBLY REMAINED ATTACHED TO THE AIRFRAME AND THE ENGINE COWLING WAS INTACT. THE SPINNER EXHIBITED NO EVIDENCE OF ROTATION DURING IMPACT. ALL THREE PROPELLER BLADES WERE DAMAGED AND ATTACHED THE PROPELLER CRANKSHAFT FLANGE. THE FORWARD CABIN AREA WAS SLIGHTLY DAMAGED. THE THROTTLE WAS IN THE CLOSED POSITION AND THE CARBURETOR HEAT WAS IN THE OFF POSITION. THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE WAS IN THE OFF POSITION. CONTINUITY OF THE FLIGHT CONTROLS WAS CONFIRMED FROM THE FLIGHT CONTROLS AFT TO ALL FLIGHT CONTROL SURFACES. T HE AIRCRAFT REGISTRATION AND THE SPECIAL AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE WERE LOCATED IN THE AIRPLANE. THE LEFT AND RIGHT LANDING GEAR WERE ATTACHED TO THE AIRFRAME. THE RIGHT WING REMAINED ATTACHED TO THE AIRFRAME AND, OTHER THAN THE STANDPIPE FOR THE FUEL VENT, WAS OR WAS NOT DAMAGED. THE RIGHT WING LEADING EDGE WAS NOT DAMAGED. THE RIGHT MAIN FUEL TANK WAS NOT RUPTURED, THE FUEL CAP HAD A TIGHT SEAL AND FUEL WAS NOT PRESENT. BROWNING OF VEGETATION WAS NOT PRESENT ON THE GROUND. THE RIGHT FLAP AND RIGHT AILERON WERE NOT DAMAGED AND REMAINED ATTACHED TO THEIR ATTACHMENT POINTS. THE EMPENNAGE AFT OF THE PILOT’S COMPARTMENT WAS NOT DAMAGED. THE RUDDER, LEFT AND RIGHT HORIZONTAL STABILIZERS AND ELEVATORS WERE NOT DAMAGED. THE VERTICAL FIN WAS DAMAGE ON TOP AS A RESULT OF CONTACT WITH THE GROUND WHEN THE AIRCRAFT NOSED OVER. THE RIGHT ELEVATOR TRIM TAB WAS IN THE NEUTRAL POSITION. THE LEFT WING REMAINED ATTACHED TO THE AIRFRAME AND, OTHER THAN THE STANDPIPE FOR THE FUEL VENT, WAS NOT DAMAGED. THE LEFT WING LEADING EDGE WAS NOT DAMAGED. THE LEFT MAIN FUEL TANK WAS NOT RUPTURED, THE FUEL CAP HAD A TIGHT SEAL AND FUEL WAS PRESENT. BROWNING OF VEGETATION WAS NOT PRESENT ON THE GROUND. THE LEFT FLAP AND LEFT AILERON WERE NOT DAMAGED AND REMAINED ATTACHED TO THEIR ATTACHMENT POINTS. THE AIRPLANE WAS RECOVERED TO LOCKWOOD AVIATION IN SEBRING FLORIDA AND EXAMINED ON SEPTEMBER 9, 2009. THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN THE SAME CONDITION IT WAS IN AT THE ACCIDENT SITE EXCEPT THE WINGS AND ELEVATORS HAD BEEN REMOVED. APPROXIMATELY 11 GALLONS OF CLEAR UNCONTAMINATED FUEL HAD BEEN REMOVED FROM THE AIRCRAFT TANKS. THE OIL FILTER AND FUEL GASCOLATOR WERE CHECKED FOR EVIDENCE OF CONTAMINATION AND NONE WAS FOUND. A REPLACEMENT OIL FILTER WAS INSTALLED AND THE GASCOLATOR REINSTALLED. A MAKESHIFT FUEL TANK WAS USED TO HOLD SOME OF THE FUEL REMOVED FROM THE AIRCRAFT AND THE ENGINE WAS RUN. THE ENGINE STARTED WITH A SMALL AMOUNT OF DIFFICULT, PROBABLY AS A RESULT OF OIL FOULED PLUGS. WHEN IT STARTED, THE ENGINE RAN NORMALLY AT IDLE. THE ENGINE SPEED WAS INCREASED TO 2500 RPM AND EVENTUALLY TO 4000 RPM WITH NO ABNORMALITIES NOTED. DUE TO THE NATURE OF THE TIE DOWN METHOD, THE ENGINE WAS NOT RUN AT A HIGHER RPM. THE ENGINE FUNCTIONED NORMALLY.