# NTSB CEN26LA161: Flight Design Ctsw, N249CT, Seguin, TX, April 7, 2026 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report - Date: April 6, 2026, 20:00 local (Apr 7, 2026, 01:00 UTC) - Place: Seguin, TX - Coordinates: 29.602406, -97.990563 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=29.6024&lon=-97.9906&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Landing-landing roll: Landing gear collapse](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/094) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report July 30, 2026 - 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): 202771 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN26LA161 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/202771/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN26LA161 ## Probable cause The failure of the landing gear weldment that resulted in separation of the right main landing gear. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Landing gear system: main gear strut/axle/truck](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023213): Aircraft › Aircraft systems · Failure (probable cause); cases with it: [Flight Design CTSW, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023213/cases.md?model=0600001), [All aircraft, 86 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023213/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Landing-landing roll: Landing gear collapse](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/094) (defining event); cases with it: [Flight Design CTSW, 6 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/094/sequence.md?model=0600001), [All aircraft, 1,787 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/094/sequence.md) ## Analysis The student pilot reported that during the instructional flight the first landing was normal. The second approach and landing were also normal, but the airplane began to veer to the right during the landing rollout. The flight instructor took control of the airplane and performed an aborted landing. After communicating with another pilot who was on the ground at the airport, they determined that the right main landing gear wheel had separated from the airplane. On the subsequent landing, the airplane landed in the grass short of the paved runway, the remnants of the right main landing gear dug into the ground, and the airplane yawed sharply to the right. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and fuselage. Examination of the airplane after the accident revealed that the welded structure that held the wheel and wheel axle to the round landing gear leg had fractured. The lower portion of the weldment, along with the wheel and brake assembly, were found on the runway. Examination of the weldment showed a buckled portion of tube below the attachment to the round gear leg. The buckling was consistent with a hard landing occurring at some point in the life of the part. There was a complete fracture of the tube just above the buckled section and the interior of the tube was corroded. The fracture surfaces had features consistent with overstress failure. Based on the student pilot’s account and the physical evidence it is likely that the landing gear weldment had previous damage that went undetected until failure during the accident flight. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N249CT](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N249CT), registered now, S/N 06-11-14, built 2006 (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: 06-11-14 - Year built: 2006 - Airframe hours: 3635 - Engines: ROTAX 912ULS 100 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Special light-sport (Special) - Last inspection: Condition, February 12, 2026, 31 hours before - Airport: E70, Huber Airpark Civic Club LLC, runway 18/36, 3,415 × 50 ft, asphalt - Equipment: Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Auto-pilot, Electronic multifunction display, Electronic primary flight display, ADS-B, Angle of attack indicator, Airframe parachute ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 51; injuries: none; student; medical: sport pilot; seat: left; restraint: 4-point; flight hours: 40 total, 25 in this make and model - Flight instructor; age 20; injuries: none; commercial, flight instructor; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, without waivers/limitations; last flight review February 5, 2026; seat: right; restraint: 3-point; flight hours: 330 total, 26 in this make and model, 186 as pilot in command, 45 in the last 90 days, 32 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Dusk - Wind: 40° at 6 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 66 °F, dew point 37 °F - Altimeter: 30.13 inHg - Observed at: KBAZ, 7 nm away - METAR: METAR KBAZ 070051Z AUTO 04006KT 10SM CLR 19/03 A3013 RMK AO2 SLP199 T01890033= ## 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 20260406004169A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20260406004169A), Apr 6, 2026: Flight Design Gmbh CTSW, Seguin, TX, Substantial damage. On the evening of April 6, 2026, at approximately 6:00 pm local time, CFI and student were conducting a training Flight near Seguin, Texas, operating out of… 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.