DFW07CA074

NTSB accident investigation · Flight Design Ctsw · Granbury, TX · February 21, 2007

Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal report
Date
February 21, 2007, 12:15 local (18:15 UTC)
Place
Granbury, TX
Injuries
1 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N134DGFlight Design Ctsw
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report April 25, 2007
Report
Approved by Office Director
Parties
AFW FSDO
FAA report
20070221001229A
Case key
65330

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 pilot's misjudgment of altitude and distance while landing, which resulted in an undershoot of the runway. A contributing factor was the rising terrain on approach to the runway.

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.

UndershootLanding - flare/touchdown
Distance/altitude - misjudgedPilot in commandCause
In flight collision with terrain/waterLanding - flare/touchdown
Terrain condition - risingFactor

Analysis

The private pilot reported that the airplane touched down short of the runway landing threshold. He stated that after completing a local area flight, he returned to his home base airport for a full stop landing. The pilot wrote in the NTSB Form 6120.1 (Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident/Incident Report) that while on final approach to runway 36, he "allowed the aircraft to become too low" and the airplane impacted terrain approximately 30-feet short of the landing threshold. The pilot added that there is a "substantial upslope to the runway which causes a significant 'ramp effect'." The ramp effect aided in making the airplane became airborne again, and it touched down on the runway, skidding 300-feet before coming to rest. The pilot, who was the sole occupant of the light sport airplane, was not injured. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Inspector that responded to the accident noted that the terrain on approach to the landing runway had a 30 percent upslope. The weather conditions at the time of the accident were light and variable winds, clear skies, and unlimited visibility.

Factual narrative

The 1,380-hour instrument rated private pilot reported that the airplane touched down short of the landing threshold for runway 36. The pilot further reported that after completing a local area flight, he returned to his home base airport for a full stop landing on runway 36. The pilot reported in the NTSB Form 6120.1 (Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident/Incident Report) that while on final approach to runway 36, a 3,500-foot long by 50-foot wide dry, asphalt runway, he "allowed the aircraft to become too low" and the airplane impacted the terrain approximately 30-feet short of the landing threshold for runway 36. The pilot added that there is a "substantial upslope to the runway which causes a significant 'ramp effect'." The ramp effect aided in making the airplane became airborne again and touched down on the runway, skidding another 300-feet before coming to rest. The pilot, who was the sole occupant of the single-engine light sport airplane, was not injured. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the main landing gear which was separated from the aircraft upon initial impact. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Inspector that responded to the accident noted that the terrain on approach to the landing runway had a 30 percent upslope. The weather conditions at the time of the accident were light and variable winds, clear skies, and unlimited visibility.

Aircraft

Registration
N134DG
Reported as
Flight Design Ctsw
Category
Airplane
Serial number
06-08-06
Airframe hours
13
Engine
Rotax 912ULS, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Registered owner
Gerald D. Althouse
Airworthiness certificate
Special, Special light-sport (Special)
Last inspection
Annual · November 1, 2006
Departed
0TX1 · Granbury, TX
Destination
0TX1 · Granbury, TX
Airport
0TX1 · Pecan Plantation, runway 36, 3,500 × 50 ft, asphalt

Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

Role
Pilot
Age
71
Injuries
None
Certificate
Private
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Last flight review
November 1, 2006
Seat
Left
Flight hours
1,380 total · 7 in this make and model · 1,342 as pilot in command · 8 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
70 °F
Observed at
KGDJ, 10 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.