- Date
- November 24, 2010, 12:15 local (20:15 UTC)
- Place
- Fullerton, CA
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N459CTFlight Design Ctsw
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Abnormal runway contact
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 20, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration FSDO
- FAA report
- 20101124053289A
- Case key
- 77872
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 improper flare during landing.
Findings · 2
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 was performing the third landing attempt in the light sport airplane. He reported aborting the prior attempts due to the approach being too high and fast. On the third landing, he descended to about 10 feet over the runway, when a gust of wind blew the airplane to the right, and over the taxiway. He countered with rudder and left control stick input, and the airplane returned to the runway. He allowed the airspeed to degrade, and the airplane landed hard on the nose and left wheel. The nose gear subsequently collapsed, and the airplane veered off the runway and nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer and wings during the accident sequence. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunction or failures.
Factual narrative
The pilot was performing the third landing attempt in the light sport airplane. He reported aborting the prior attempts due to the approach being too high and fast. On the third landing, he descended to about 10 feet over the runway, when a gust of wind blew the airplane to the right, and over the taxiway. He countered with rudder and left control stick input, and the airplane returned to the runway. He allowed the airspeed to degrade, and the airplane landed hard on the nose and left wheel. The nose gear subsequently collapsed, and the airplane veered off the runway and nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer and wings during the accident sequence. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunction or failures.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N459CT
- Reported as
- Flight Design Ctsw
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 07-08-12
- Airframe hours
- 115
- Engine
- Rotax 912ULS, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Special light-sport (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 1, 2010 · 18 hours before
- Departed
- SNA · Santa Ana, CA
- Destination
- FUL · Fullerton, CA
- Airport
- FUL · Fullerton Municipal Airport, runway 06, 3,121 × 75 ft, asphalt
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
- 58
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 470 total · 26 in this make and model · 470 as pilot in command · 26 in the last 90 days · 0 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,300 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.95 inHg
- Observed at
- FUL
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 13, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.3 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.