- Date
- May 19, 2019, 13:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Blairesville, GA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N153SWFlight Design Ctsw
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 21, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20190519004879A
- Case key
- 99713
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 airplane control during landing in gusting crosswind conditions, which resulted in a hard landing and landing gear collapse.
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, while on approach for landing on runway 26, the wind was reported to be from 240º at 8 knots. One second later, the wind shifted and was from 180º at 6 knots. The pilot flew the final approach with a left crosswind and crossed the threshold at 50 knots. As he leveled the airplane and was about to touch down at 45 knots, the airplane lifted about 7 ft, and the nose pitched up 20º. The pilot pushed the control stick forward and began to add power, but the airplane "violently slammed" onto the runway, and the left main landing gear collapsed. He added full right rudder and aileron to keep the airplane on the runway, but it veered left into tall grass. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the firewall and engine mount.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that while on approach for landing on runway 26, the wind was reported from 240º at 8 knots, then a moment later, the wind shifted to 180º at 6 knots. The pilot flew the final approach with a crosswind from the left and crossed the threshold at 50 knots. As he leveled the airplane, and about to touchdown at 45 knots, the airplane was lifted about 7 ft and the nose pitched up 20º. The pilot shoved the control stick forward and began to add power, when the airplane violently slammed onto the runway, collapsing the left main landing gear. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the firewall and engine mount. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The automated weather observation station located on the airport reported that, about five minutes before the accident, the wind was from 200° at 9 knots, gusting up to 14 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N153SW
- Reported as
- Flight Design Ctsw (No Series)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 07-06-10
- Built
- 2007
- Engine
- Rotax 912 ULS, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- White Falcon LLC
- Registered owner
- White Falcon LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental light sport (Special)
- Departed
- TTA · Sanford, NC
- Destination
- M38 · Hazel Green, AL
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- DZJ · Blairsville, runway 26, 5,004 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Unknown
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
- 70
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 9 knots, gusting 14
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.09 inHg
- Observed at
- KDZJ, 1 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 28, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.4 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.