Pilot Debrief

FLIGHT DESIGN GMBH CTSW near Gregory, MI — 2023-05-23

Final reportCEN23LA200
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Date
2023-05-23
Location
Gregory, MI, USA
Airport
69G
Aircraft
FLIGHT DESIGN GMBH CTSW
Registration
N165CT
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Landing

Probable cause

The pilot’s improper landing flare that resulted in a hard, bounced landing and subsequent overstress failure of the nose landing gear.

NTSB narrative

The pilot was landing on a grass runway with a slight right quartering tailwind. During the landing, the nose landing gear bounced after touchdown then separated from the airplane. The airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted. The fuselage and empennage sustained substantial damage. Metallurgical examination of the nose landing gear rotation unit revealed the fracture surfaces were consistent with shear overstress. A review of the maintenance logbooks revealed that the nose landing gear had been replaced two previous times due to hard landing events. No anomalies were noted with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. It is likely that the landing was harder than the pilot perceived, which resulted in the shear overstress of the nose landing gear.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Mechanical failure
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have opted for a go-around after the bounce.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Photos
  • 7 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents7

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