# NTSB CEN15CA036: Flight Design CTLSi, N549CT, White Bear Lake, MN, October 23, 2014 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Minor injuries · Data collection · Final report - Date: October 23, 2014, 14:30 local (19:30 UTC) - Place: White Bear Lake, MN - Coordinates: 45.117778, -92.999168 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=45.1178&lon=-92.9992&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Landing: Aerodynamic stall/spin](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/241) - Highest injury: Minor injuries - Injuries: 1 minor - Status: Completed, report June 15, 2016 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: FAA Minneapolis FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 90338 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN15CA036 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/90338/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=90338 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN15CA036 ## Probable cause The pilot's exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack during the landing, which resulted in an inadvertent aerodynamic stall, a hard landing, and a nose over. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Use of equip/info: aircraft control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Flight Design CTLS, 22 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md?model=060005B), [All aircraft, 9,295 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md) - [Performance/control parameters: angle of attack](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062042): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Capability exceeded (probable cause); cases with it: [Flight Design CTLS, 4 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062042/cases.md?model=060005B), [All aircraft, 990 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062042/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Landing: Aerodynamic stall/spin](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/241) (defining event); cases with it: [Flight Design CTLS, 4 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/241/sequence.md?model=060005B), [All aircraft, 1,529 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/241/sequence.md) - [Landing: Loss of control in flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240); cases with it: [Flight Design CTLS, 7 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence.md?model=060005B), [All aircraft, 5,002 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence.md) - [Landing: Hard landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092); cases with it: [Flight Design CTLS, 10 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092/sequence.md?model=060005B), [All aircraft, 2,102 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092/sequence.md) - [Landing: Attempted remediation/recovery](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/060); cases with it: [Flight Design CTLS, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/060/sequence.md?model=060005B), [All aircraft, 1,422 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/060/sequence.md) - [Landing: Landing gear collapse](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/094); cases with it: [Flight Design CTLS, 8 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/094/sequence.md?model=060005B), [All aircraft, 1,787 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/094/sequence.md) - [Landing: Nose over/nose down](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/096); cases with it: [Flight Design CTLS, 3 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/096/sequence.md?model=060005B), [All aircraft, 2,287 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/096/sequence.md) ## Analysis The pilot reported that he was conducting touch-and-go landings. During his second approach, he reported that the airplane flew over the runway at 60 knots, he stalled the airplane too high, and the airplane impacted the runway "very hard" and bounced high. He reported that instead of executing a go-around, he tried to regain control of the airplane and after several bounces, the nose landing gear collapsed, and the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and firewall. The pilot verified that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. As a safety recommendation, the pilot reported that he could have executed a go-around. The Federal Aviation Administration has published the Airplane Flying Handbook FAA-H-8083-3A (2004). This handbook discusses the roundout portion when landing and states in part: Sometimes when the airplane appears to temporarily stop moving downward, the roundout has been made too rapidly and the airplane is flying level, too high above the runway. Continuing the roundout would further reduce the airspeed, resulting in an increase in angle of attack to the critical angle. This would result in the airplane stalling and dropping hard onto the runway. To prevent this, the pitch attitude should be held constant until the airplane decelerates enough to again start descending. Then the roundout can be continued to establish the proper landing attitude. This procedure should only be used when there is adequate airspeed. It may be necessary to add a slight amount of power to keep the airspeed from decreasing excessively and to avoid losing lift too rapidly. It is recommended that a go-around be executed any time it appears the nose must be lowered significantly or that the landing is in any other way uncertain. ## Factual narrative The pilot reported that he was conducting touch-and-go landings. During his second approach, he reported that the airplane flew over the runway at 60 knots, he stalled the airplane too high, and the airplane impacted the runway "very hard" and bounced high. He reported that instead of executing a go-around, he tried to regain control of the airplane and after several bounces, the nose landing gear collapsed, and the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and firewall. The pilot verified that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. As a safety recommendation, the pilot reported that he could have executed a go-around. The Federal Aviation Administration has published the Airplane Flying Handbook FAA-H-8083-3A (2004). This handbook discusses the roundout portion when landing and states in part: Sometimes when the airplane appears to temporarily stop moving downward, the roundout has been made too rapidly and the airplane is flying level, too high above the runway. Continuing the roundout would further reduce the airspeed, resulting in an increase in angle of attack to the critical angle. This would result in the airplane stalling and dropping hard onto the runway. To prevent this, the pitch attitude should be held constant until the airplane decelerates enough to again start descending. Then the roundout can be continued to establish the proper landing attitude. This procedure should only be used when there is adequate airspeed. It may be necessary to add a slight amount of power to keep the airspeed from decreasing excessively and to avoid losing lift too rapidly. It is recommended that a go-around be executed any time it appears the nose must be lowered significantly or that the landing is in any other way uncertain. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N549CT](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N549CT-2017-11-29), registration cancelled 2017-11-29, S/N F-13-03-09, built 2014 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: FLIGHT DESIGN GMBH CTLSi - Registry model: [Flight Design CTLS](https://openairdocs.org/model/flight-design-ctls) (registry code 060005B) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Rotax 912IS2](https://openairdocs.org/engine/rotax-912is2) (registry code 55590, 4 cycle) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: F-13-03-09 - Year built: 2014 - Engines: Rotax 912ULSi 100 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Special light-sport (Special) - Last inspection: Annual, July 1, 2015 - Departed: 6MN9, White Bear Lake, MN - Destination: 6MN9, White Bear Lake, MN - Airport: 6MN9, Benson, runway 30, 2,000 × 75 ft, grass/turf - Equipment: Auto-pilot, Angle of attack indicator, Airframe parachute, ADS-B ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 75; injuries: minor; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: sport pilot; last flight review October 19, 2015; seat: left; flight hours: 150 total, 18 in this make and model, 83 as pilot in command, 16 in the last 90 days, 10 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 240° at 4 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 66 °F, dew point 54 °F - Altimeter: 29.95 inHg - Observed at: KANE, 9 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20141023018429A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20141023018429A), Oct 23, 2014: Flight Design Gmbh CTLS, White Bear Town, MN, Substantial damage. According to the pilot's statement he was attempting a landing on runway 31 at Benson Airport (6MN9) in White Bear township, MN and the aircraft bounced… ## Docket (2 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 1, 2016, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=90338. 3.0 MB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 2.5 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40440693&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Master.PDF - Accident Photos (Courtesy of FAA) (item 2, .PDF, 3 photos, 522 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40440694&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Accident%20Photos%20(Courtesy%20of%20FAA)-Master.PDF 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.