# NTSB DFW07CA074: Flight Design Ctsw, N134DG, Granbury, TX, February 21, 2007 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report - Date: February 21, 2007, 12:15 local (18:15 UTC) - Place: Granbury, TX - Coordinates: 32.3538888888889, -97.6763888888889 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.3539&lon=-97.6764&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report April 25, 2007 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: AFW FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 65330 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=DFW07CA074 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/65330/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DFW07CA074 ## 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 In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Undershoot, landing - flare/touchdown - distance/altitude - misjudged, pilot in command (cause) - In flight collision with terrain/water, landing - flare/touchdown - terrain condition - rising (contributing factor) ## 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 (not matched to a registry record) - Reported make and model: Flight Design CTSW - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 06-08-06 - Airframe hours: 13 - Engines: 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. - Pilot; age 71; injuries: none; 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20070221001229A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20070221001229A), Feb 21, 2007: Amtr CTSW, Granbury, TX, Substantial damage. (-23) On 02/21/07, at 1215 CST, a flight design gmbh model Ctsw, N134DG, owned by the pilot [privacy data omitted] landed short of runway 36 at Pecan… 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.