# Accident 20130710012529A: Flight Design Gmbh CTSW, Taos, NM, July 10, 2013

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 10, 2013, 11:08 local time
- Place: Taos, NM
- Airport: Taos Regional
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 36.4581° N, 105.6578° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.4581&lon=-105.6578&mi=10
- Aircraft: N424CT, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N424CT-2018-01-04) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Flight Design CTSW (registry code 0600001, https://openairdocs.org/model/flight-design-ctsw) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Rotax SEE BOMBADIER (registry code 55555, https://openairdocs.org/engine/rotax-see-bombadier) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: FLIGHT DESIGN GMBH CTSW
- Reported engine: ROTAX 912 S
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 1
- Other injuries: 1
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 3,364 total, 564 in this make and model, 13 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CEN13LA409](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN13LA409) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20130710012529A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

AIRCRAFT N424CT DEPARTED SKX AT APPROX. 1030 HRS. THE PIC ON THIS FLIGHT,  INDICATED THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS TO PERFORM A FLIGHT REVIEW (FR) IAW 14 CFR PART 61.56. THIS WAS THE SECOND TIME IN IN A ROW THAT THE CFI WHO CONDUCTED THE FR OF THE PIC IN THIS AIRCRAFT.

THE FR HAD BEGUN WITH THE TAKE-OFF AND A FLIGHT AWAY FROM THE AIRPORT TO A ?PRACTICE AREA? WEST OF THE AIRPORT. AFTER COMPLETING THE PLANNED ROUTINE THE AIRCRAFT RETURNED TO THE AIRPORT.

AS THE AIRCRAFT ENTERED THE DOWNWIND LEG FOR RUNWAY 22, THE INSTRUCTOR ASKED THE PILOT TO LAND, SIMULATING AN ENGINE OUT CONDITION. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE ESTABLISHED A GLIDE SPEED OF 63 KTS. AND SET FLAPS TO 15º. WHEN THE AIRCRAFT TURNED TO THE BASE LEG, HE LOWERED THE FLAPS TO 30º AND REDUCED THE SPEED TO 52-55 KTS. AS THE AIRCRAFT TURNED FINAL, THE PILOT THOUGHT HE WAS ON LINE TO LAND APPROXIMATELY 800 FEET BEYOND THE THRESHOLD OF THE RUNWAY AND STATED THE RUNWAY PAPI LIGHTING INDICATED HE WAS AT THE CORRECT APPROACH HEIGHT.

THE PILOT STATED SUDDENLY, THE AIRCRAFT VIOLENTLY WENT OUT OF CONTROL IN ROLL AND PITCH MODES. THE PILOT INDICATED BOTH (CFI & PILOT) ATTEMPTED TO RESPOND WITH CONTROL INPUTS BUT DID NOT SPECIFICALLY REMEMBER WHAT THE AIRCRAFT DID OR WHAT THEY DID TO CORRECT ITS MOTION.

EYE WITNESSES ON THE GROUND WHO OBSERVED THE EVENT INDICATED THE AIRCRAFT CROSSED THE AIRPORT PERIMETER FENCE AT APPROXIMATELY 80 FEET AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER THE NOSE OF THE A/C PITCHED UP AND DOWN FOLLOWED BY THE AIRCRAFT ROLLING LEFT WING LOW, FOLLOWED BY THE AIRCRAFT ROLLING RIGHT WING LOW AND NOSE DOWN WHEN THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND.

PHYSICAL EVIDENCE ON THE GROUND AT THE SITE INDICATED THE AIRCRAFT RIGHT WING TIP IMPACTED THE GROUND FIRST FOLLOWED BY AN INITIAL IMPACT OF THE NOSE GEAR.  IT APPEARS THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT BOUNCED AND IMPACTED SEVERAL FEET FURTHER DOWNRANGE WHERE IT APPEARS THE NOSE GEAR IMPACTED AGAIN AND FULLY COLLAPSED ALLOWING THE PROPELLER HUB TO STRIKE THE GROUND SENDING MOST OF THE FRACTURED BLADE PARTS INTO AN AREA 50 TO 70 FEET TO THE LEFT OF THE PRIMARY IMPACT PATH.

THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED FORWARD WITH TWO SCRAP PATHS APPEARING TO HAVE BEEN MADE BY THE MAIN GEAR, WITH A FINAL LARGE DIVOT POINT THAT APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN THE PIVOT POINT AT WHICH POINT THE A/C FORWARD MOTION CAUSED IT TO FLIP OVER ON IT?S BACK EXPENDING THE REMAINING ENERGY COMING TO REST IN AN INVERTED POSITION APPROXIMATELY 106 FEET FROM THE EDGE ON THE DISPLACED THRESHOLD OF RUNWAY 22.

THE RIGHT WING SPAR WAS BROKEN AT THE WING ROOT WITH THE LEADING EDGE OF THE RIGHT WING BEING IN A POSITION 30 TO 40 DEGREES FORWARD OF THE LEFT WING.

THE PASSENGER CABIN FORWARD OF THE REAR DOOR FRAME WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DESTROYED.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB CEN13LA409](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN13LA409), Jul 10, 2013: Flight Design Ctsw (N424CT), Taos, NM, substantial damage, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The airplane's unexpected encounter with a dust devil, which resulted in the loss of airplane control.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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