Event CEN10CA239

Factual narrative

Shortly after takeoff the student pilot experienced trouble controlling the light sport airplane. The flight instructor took over the controls and, believing that the airplane’s flight controls might have been malfunctioning, elected to land on the remaining runway. The fiberglass airplane impacted the runway hard, which resulted in a propeller strike and the collapse of the nose landing gear and left main landing gear. The airplane came to rest on the runway in an upright and left-wing-low position. Following an engine shutdown, the instructor and student were able to exit unassisted. Around the time of the accident the wind was shifting back and forth from a quartering headwind to a quartering tailwind. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector examined the airplane and reported that no preimpact anomalies were noted with the airplane’s flight controls. Shortly after takeoff the student pilot experienced trouble controlling the light sport airplane. The flight instructor took over the controls and, believing that the airplane’s flight controls might have been malfunctioning, elected to land on the remaining runway. The fiberglass airplane impacted the runway hard, which resulted in a propeller strike and the collapse of the nose landing gear and left main landing gear. The airplane came to rest on the runway in an upright and left-wing-low position. Following an engine shutdown, the instructor and student were able to exit unassisted. Around the time of the accident the wind was shifting back and forth from a quartering headwind to a quartering tailwind. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector examined the airplane and reported that no preimpact anomalies were noted with the airplane’s flight controls. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

Hierarchical cause / factor breakdown from the FAA bulk avdata database. Each finding tagged C (Cause) or F (Factor).

• C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Student pilot - C
• C Personnel issues-Action/decision-Action-Delayed action-Instructor/check pilot - C
• — Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-Variable wind-Effect on equipment