- Date
- April 29, 2007, 11:00 local (15:00 UTC)
- Place
- Fort Meade, MD
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N22QTFlight Design Ctsw
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 30, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Baltimore FSDO-07
- FAA report
- 20070429014649A
- Case key
- 65672
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The student pilot's inadequate compensation for the gusty wind conditions during the landing flare, resulting in a loss of control, and an in-flight collision with terrain. A factor associated with the accident was the wind gusts.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
According to an FAA inspector who interviewed the student pilot, the student pilot stated that during the final approach to land in gusty wind conditions, the airplane rolled left, and the left wingtip struck the ground. The airplane cartwheeled, and sustained substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. The FAA inspector said the student pilot told him that there were no preaccident mechanical problems with the airplane. Additionally, the FAA inspector examined the airplane, and found no flight control or mechanical anomalies. Winds at a nearby reporting station were from 310 degrees at 11 knots, with gusts to 19 knots.
Factual narrative
An FAA inspector stated that during his interview with the student pilot, the pilot said that "the winds were very gusty" during the approach. On the final approach to land, according to the pilot, the airplane rolled left. The left wing tip struck the ground, and the airplane began to cartwheel. When questioned further, the student pilot said that he did not experience any mechanical or flight control anomalies prior to the accident. The FAA inspector examined the airplane and found no flight control or mechanical anomalies. The airplane was destroyed in the accident. The student pilot did not submit the NTSB 6120.1 accident/incident form. Winds at a nearby reporting station were from 310 degrees at 11 knots with gusts to 19 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N22QT
- Reported as
- Flight Design Ctsw
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 05-07-14
- Airframe hours
- 62.2
- Engine
- Rotax 912 ULS, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Christine A. Ellison
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Special light-sport (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 1, 2007
- Departed
- KFME · Fort Meade, MD
- Airport
- KFME · Tipton, runway 10, 3,000 × 75 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 27
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 8 total · 8 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 11 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 68 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.88 inHg
- Observed at
- KNAK, 14 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.