# NTSB CEN23LA408: Flight Design Ctsw, N603CT, Berryville, AR, September 7, 2023

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report
- Date: September 7, 2023, 15:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place: Berryville, AR
- Coordinates: 36.381342, -93.62454
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.3813&lon=-93.6245&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Approach](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/500) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Approach-VFR go-around: Loss of control in flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 1 uninjured
- Status: Completed
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class: Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office: Central Region
- Parties: FAA
- NTSB case key (mKey): 193044
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN23LA408
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/193044/pdf
- NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=193044
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN23LA408

## Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to maintain aircraft control during the attempted go-around.

## 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 CTSW, 20 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md?model=0600001), [All aircraft, 9,295 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md)

## Sequence of events

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

- [Approach-VFR go-around: Loss of control in flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240) (defining event); cases with it: [Flight Design CTSW, 10 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence.md?model=0600001), [All aircraft, 5,002 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence.md)

## Analysis

The pilot reported that he performed a landing using 30° flap setting for practice and the airplane bounced. He decided to perform a go-around because he wanted to perform a better landing. He applied full engine power and the airplane pitched up and entered a left bank that the pilot was not able to correct. The airplane continued in the left bank until striking trees on the left side of the runway. The airplane received substantial damage to the fuselage, right wing and empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N603CT](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N603CT), registered now, S/N 05-06-03, built 2005 (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 SEE BOMBADIER](https://openairdocs.org/engine/rotax-see-bombadier) (registry code 55555, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 5645005
- Year built: 2005
- Engines: Rotax 912ULS 100 horsepower reciprocating
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Registered owner: Bug Smashers LLC
- Airworthiness certificate: Special, Special light-sport (Special)
- Departed: 4M1, Berryville, AR
- Airport: 4M1, Carroll County, runway 7, 3,555 × 75 ft
- Equipment: Auto-pilot, Airframe parachute, Handheld GPS

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 71; injuries: none; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: basicmed; last flight review September 5, 2021; seat: left; restraint: 4-point; flight hours: 2,960 total, 330 in this make and model

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: calm
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Temperature: 82 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
- Observed at: KBBG, 22 nm away
- METAR: METAR KBBG 071945Z 00000KT 9SM CLR 28/10 A3001=

## 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 20230907012649A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20230907012649A), Sep 7, 2023: Flight Design Gmbh CTSW, Berryville, AR, Destroyed. On 9/7/2023 while on approach to rogers, AR (krog) the pilot of a Flight design Ctsw put a setting of 30 degrees of flaps instead of a more familiar setting of…

## Docket (2 files)

The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 9, 2023, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=193044. 22.7 MB in all.

- Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 6 pages, 21.3 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=16161931&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=6120_Redacted-Rel.pdf
- Accident photos (item 2, PDF, 4 pages, 1.5 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=16161584&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Photos-Rel.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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