# NTSB CEN17LA041: Flight Design Ctsw, N329CT, Port Allen, LA, November 13, 2016

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report
- Date: November 13, 2016, 15:30 local (21:30 UTC)
- Place: Port Allen, LA
- Coordinates: 30.532499, -91.315002 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=30.5325&lon=-91.3150&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Initial climb](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/350) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Initial climb: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 1 uninjured
- Status: Completed, report April 20, 2020
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office: Central Region
- Parties: FAA Baton Rouge FSDO
- NTSB case key (mKey): 94385
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN17LA041
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/94385/pdf
- NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=94385
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN17LA041

## Probable cause

The total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation, which resulted from debris in the fuel selector valve restricting the fuel flow to the engine and led to a forced landing on rough terrain.

## Findings

NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause.

- [Fuel system: fuel selector/shutoff valve](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01022823): Aircraft › Aircraft systems · Not specified (probable cause); cases with it: [Flight Design CTSW, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01022823/cases.md?model=0600001), [All aircraft, 176 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01022823/cases.md)

## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Initial climb: Fuel starvation](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/191); cases with it: [Flight Design CTSW, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/191/sequence.md?model=0600001), [All aircraft, 733 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/191/sequence.md)
- [Initial climb: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341) (defining event); cases with it: [Flight Design CTSW, 6 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md?model=0600001), [All aircraft, 3,820 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md)
- [Initial climb: Attempted remediation/recovery](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/060); cases with it: [Flight Design CTSW, 4 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/060/sequence.md?model=0600001), [All aircraft, 1,422 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/060/sequence.md)
- [Emergency descent: Off-field or emergency landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440); cases with it: [Flight Design CTSW, 5 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md?model=0600001), [All aircraft, 3,365 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md)

## Analysis

The student pilot reported that, shortly after departing for a local, personal flight and while the airplane was about 875 ft above ground level, the engine lost all power. The student attempted to restart the engine without success. Subsequently, he conducted a forced landing in a field, during which the left main landing gear and wing struck a dirt mound, and the airplane nosed over, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage, the right wing spar and leading edge, and the left wing attachment. Postaccident examination of the fuel system revealed that there was debris inside the fuel selector valve check ball. The debris likely restricted the fuel flow to the engine and led to the loss of all engine power due to fuel starvation.

## Factual narrative

On November 13, 2016, about 1530 central standard time, a Flight Design CTSW single engine airplane, N329CT, was substantially damaged during a forced landing shortly after takeoff from Omni Airport (LA46), Port Allen, Louisiana. The student pilot, the sole occupant aboard, was not injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions were reported at the airport about the time of the accident, and no flight plan had been filed for the local flight. According to the pilot, the airplane departed to the north and climbed to about 500 ft, and then turned west. About 875 ft, the engine made a "sneeze", lost power, and then the propeller stopped turning, The pilot tried to restart the engine several times, without success. During the forced landing in a sugar cane field, the left main landing gear and wing struck a dirt mound and the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the lower front end of the fuselage, the right wing spar and leading edge, and left wing attachment fitting. According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector who responded to the accident, clean fuel was found in the fuel tanks, but the gascolator bowl was rusty and corroded. The right-wing fuel intake filter end cap was missing. An examination of the fuel lines and the fuel selector shutoff valve found soft hose-like debris in the check ball section of the valve which was obstructing fuel flow. No other defects were noted with the engine or fuel system.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N329CT](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N329CT-2018-01-04), registration cancelled 2018-01-04, S/N 07-01-09, built 2007 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: FLIGHT DESIGN GMBH CTSW
- Registry model: [Flight Design CTSW](https://openairdocs.org/model/flight-design-ctsw) (registry code 0600001) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Rotax 912ULS series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/rotax-912uls-series) (registry code 55572, 4 cycle) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 07-01-09
- Year built: 2007
- Airframe hours: 913
- Engines: ROTAX 912ULS 100 horsepower reciprocating
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate: Special, Special light-sport (Special)
- Last inspection: Condition, June 3, 2016, 17 hours before
- Departed: LA46, Port Allen, LA
- Destination: LA46, Port Allen, LA
- Airport: LA46, Omni, runway 05, 3,500 × 250 ft
- Equipment: Data recorder, Auto-pilot, Airframe parachute, Electronic primary flight display, Electronic multifunction display

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Student pilot; age 59; injuries: none; student; medical: sport pilot; last flight review March 31, 2016; seat: left

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: 330° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Temperature: 63 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter: 30.14 inHg
- Observed at: KBTR, 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 20161113018489A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20161113018489A), Nov 13, 2016: Flight Design Gmbh CTSW, Port Allen, LA, Destroyed. Purpose for flighting was to perform touch-n-goes at LA46. After preflight and engine warm up took off from RW-5, on climb out through 875' engine sputtered…

## Docket (4 files)

The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 24, 2019, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=94385. 2.9 MB in all.

- Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 754 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40477106&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Master.PDF
- IIC's Summary of Findings (item 2, .PDF, 152 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40477107&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=IIC%27s%20Summary%20of%20Findings-Master.PDF
- Map of Accident Location (item 3, .PDF, 197 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40477108&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Map%20of%20Accident%20Location-Master.PDF
- Photos (item 4, .PDF, 4 photos, 1.8 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40477109&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photos-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.

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