- Date
- April 18, 2015, 11:45 local (15:45 UTC)
- Place
- Newport, RI
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N684CTFlight Design Ctsw
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 9, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA Boston FSDO
- FAA report
- 20150418004899A
- Case key
- 91065
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 failure to maintain directional control during landing.
Findings · 4
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that about 700 feet into a landing roll, the left wing came up suddenly, and the airplane turned left. The airplane departed the runway to the left, flipped over, and subsequently sustained substantial damage to the left wing, right wing, and the empennage. The pilot stated he believes a left crosswind gust was present during the landing roll which resulted in a ground loop. The pilot reported no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that about 700 feet into a landing roll, the left wing came up suddenly, and the airplane turned left. The airplane departed the runway to the left, flipped over, and subsequently sustained substantial damage to the left wing, right wing, and the empennage. The pilot stated he believes a left crosswind gust was present during the landing roll which resulted in a ground loop. The pilot reported no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N684CT
- Reported as
- Flight Design Ctsw (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 07-08-17
- Built
- 2007
- Airframe hours
- 312.3
- Engine
- Rotax ULS2, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Paul G Laurienzo
- Registered owner
- Paul G Laurienzo
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Special light-sport (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 20, 2014
- Departed
- SFZ · Pawtucket, RI
- Destination
- UUU · Newport, RI
- Airport
- UUU · Newport State, runway 34, 2,623 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, Airframe parachute, Auto-pilot, Electronic primary flight display
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 56
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Sport pilot, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 23, 2013
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 295 total · 48 in this make and model · 295 as pilot in command · 5 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.93 inHg
- Observed at
- KUUU
Docket · 6
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 1, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.4 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.