- Date
- June 19, 2025, 15:30 local (21:30 UTC)
- Place
- Kayenta, AZ
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N454CTFlight Design Ctls
- Defining event
- Takeoff-rejected takeoff: Runway excursion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA
- Case key
- 200375
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 pilots’ failure to maintain airplane control during takeoff in gusting crosswind conditions, which resulted in a runway excursion.
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 right-seated pilot stated that both he and the left-seated pilot were flying for the purpose of building their total airplane hours. After departing, they maneuvered for about an hour and opted to land at a local airport and eat lunch. Despite waiting for a while for the wind to become calmer, they departed in gusting crosswind conditions. The right-seated pilot was flying the airplane and after reaching about 10 ft above ground level (agl), the wind suddenly changed directions, and they were unable to maintain airplane control. The left-seated pilot asked for control of the airplane then attempted to touch back down on the runway, but the airplane’s wheels contacted vegetation adjacent to the runway. The nose gear collapsed, and the airplane flipped over, coming to rest inverted. The airplane incurred substantial damage to the fuselage during the accident sequence. The pilots reported no pre-impact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N454CT
- Reported as
- Flight Design Ctls
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- F-08-08-23
- Built
- 2008
- Airframe hours
- 1,185.6
- Engine
- Rotax 912ULS Series, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Ample Aviation LLC
- Registered owner
- Ample Aviation LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Special light-sport (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 30, 2025 · 86 hours before
- Departed
- 0V7 · Kayenta, AZ
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- 0V7 · Kayenta, runway 05-23, 7,101 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Angle of attack indicator, Airframe parachute, ADS-B, Electronic primary flight display, Electronic multifunction display, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Auto-pilot
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 33
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 14, 2024
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 518.4 total · 24.4 in this make and model · 439.1 as pilot in command · 192.1 in the last 90 days · 78.6 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 26
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 588.2 total · 0 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 8 knots, gusting 26
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 95 °F, dew point 7 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.04 inHg
- Observed at
- OV7, 0.25 nm away