# Accident 20160210007339A: Flight Design Gmbh CTLS, Springville, CA, February 10, 2016

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: February 10, 2016
- Place: Springville, CA
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Other, Specify
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Operator: U8OM
- Location: 36.0947° N, 118.8733° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.0947&lon=-118.8733&mi=10
- Aircraft: N911TS, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N911TS-2016-09-14) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Flight Design CTLS (registry code 060005B, https://openairdocs.org/model/flight-design-ctls) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Rotax 912ULS series (registry code 55572, https://openairdocs.org/engine/rotax-912uls-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: FLIGHT DESIGN GMBH CTLS
- Reported engine: ROTAX 912ULS
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 2
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Airline transport, flight instructor
- Pilot flight hours: 3,674 total, 100 in this make and model, 100 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB WPR16FA067](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR16FA067) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20160210007339A

## Narrative

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

AIRCRAFT CRASHED ON A HILLSIDE UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES, COMING TO REST INVERTED AFTER LEAVING A SHORT, 80 FOOT WRECKAGE TRAIL AND GROUND SCAR. THE PILOT AND OBSERVER DIED ON IMPACT. THE MAIN WRECKAGE WAS CONSUMED IN A POST IMPACT FIRE. THE AIRCRAFT HELD LIGHT SPORT AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATION BY FAA RECORDS. AIRCRAFT WAS OWNED BY THE TULARE COUNTY, CA,  SHERIFFS DEPARTMENT, AND WAS OPERATING AS A PUBLIC USE FLIGHT SUPPORTING GROUND BASED OFFICERS IN THE APPREHENSION OF A SUSPECTED CRIMINAL.

THE WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED ON AN AREA OF 20 DEGREE DOWNSLOPE ON THE HILLSIDE, WITH THE WRECKAGE TRAILTRAVELING DOWN AND ACROSS THE SLOPE ON A HEADING OF 010 DEGREES MAGNETIC, WITH THE MAIN WRECKAGE LYING INVERTED, WITH THE TAIL TO THE NORTH. INITIAL GROUND SCARS CONSISTED OF SIMULTANEOUSLY THE LEFT WING TIP GOUGING THE SOFT EARTH, AT A 30 DEGREE PITCH NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE, AND THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR TIRE IMPRINTED DEEPLY IN THE SOFT SOIL, WITH A 4 FT BY 4 FT AREA OF DISRUPTED EARTH IMMEDIATELY DOWNRANGE, CONTAINING COWLING PARTS AND A COMPOSITE PROPELLER BLADE WHICH WAS BROKEN OFF AT THE SHANK, INDICATING IMPACT WITH A HIGH VERTICAL ENERGY COMPONENT AND VERY LITTLE FORWARD VELOCITY.

THE COMPOSITE AIRFRAME WAS COMPLETELY CONSUMED BY FIRE, LEAVING ONLY THE CARBON FIBER CLOTH SHADOW. ALL OF THE FLIGHT AND ENGINE CONTROLS WERE ACCOUNTED FOR AT THE SCENE, AND CONTROL CONNECTIONS WERE CONFIRMED. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE FOUND OF A MID AIR COLLISION WITH ANY OBJECT OR BIRD.

## 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 WPR16FA067](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR16FA067), Feb 11, 2016: Flight Design Ctls (N911TS), Springville, CA, destroyed, 2 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed while maneuvering at low altitude in hilly terrain, which resulted in the airplane's wing exceeding its critical angle-of-attack and a subsequent…

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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