# NTSB ERA24LA325: Flight Design Ctsw, N504CT, Cuba, NY, July 23, 2024

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report
- Date: July 23, 2024, 18:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place: Cuba, NY · Private grass strip
- Coordinates: 42.185443, -78.205487 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=42.1854&lon=-78.2055&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Landing-flare/touchdown: Part(s) separation from AC](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/338)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 2 uninjured
- Status: Completed
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class: Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office: Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties: FAA/FSDO
- NTSB case key (mKey): 194771
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA24LA325
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/194771/pdf
- NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=194771
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA24LA325

## Probable cause

A separation of the left main landing gear wheel assembly during landing.

## 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-flare/touchdown: Part(s) separation from AC](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/338) (defining event); cases with it: [Flight Design CTSW, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/338/sequence.md?model=0600001), [All aircraft, 563 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/338/sequence.md)

## Analysis

The pilot was landing the airplane on a turf runway and stated that the landing approach was nominal. The pilot described that the “…airspeed, landing spot, and flare were perfect.” Upon touchdown, the right main landing gear’s wheel assembly separated from the landing gear strut. The strut subsequently dug into the ground and the airplane’s fuselage was substantially damaged. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector who examined the airplane after the accident reported that the landing gear strut had fractured about 5 inches inboard of from the wheel assembly.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N504CT](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N504CT), registered now, S/N 07-03-12, built 2007 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: FLIGHT DESIGN GMBH CTSW (NO SERIES)
- 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: 07-03-12
- Year built: 2007
- Airframe hours: 793.5
- Engines: ROTAX 912ULS SERIES 100 horsepower reciprocating
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate: Special, Special light-sport (Special)
- Last inspection: Annual, July 16, 2024
- Departed: 9G0, West Seneca, NY
- Airport: None, Private Airstrip, runway unknown, 1,400 × 50 ft, grass/turf
- Equipment: Auto-pilot, ADS-B, Airframe parachute

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 42; injuries: none; sport pilot; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: sport pilot; seat: left

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: calm
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Temperature: 73 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observed at: OLE, 4 nm away
- METAR: KOLE 232255Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 23/16 A3012 RMK AO2

## 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 20240723010199A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20240723010199A), Jul 23, 2024: Flight Design Gmbh CTSW, Cuba, NY, Substantial damage. On July 23rd, at approximately 6:00 pm EDT, a Flight design Ctsw landed on a private Grass airstrip in Cuba, NY, under VMC conditions with calm winds. The…

## Docket (4 files)

The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 2, 2024, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=194771. 2.9 MB in all.

- Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 11 pages, 2.0 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=17825201&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=NTSB%206120.1%20Form_Redacted-Rel.pdf
- Memorandum for record a�� FAA email correspondence (item 2, PDF, 1 page, 109 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=17927383&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Pilots%20statement%20MOR-Rel.pdf
- Investigation photographs (item 3, PDF, 3 pages, 660 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=17825475&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Investigation%20Photographs-Rel.pdf
- Drawings landing gear ipc (item 4, PDF, 1 page, 91 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=17828676&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Landing%20gear%20IPC-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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