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CEN25LA238

2025-07-05 · Joliet, Illinois, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport JOT

Current FAA registration · N646MA

Make / Model
FLIGHT DESIGN GMBH CTSW
Year of manufacture
2005 · 20 years old at event
Engine
ROTAX SEE BOMBADIER
Seats / Engines
2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
20060112
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A87C99

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during the crosswind landing.

Factual narrative

The pilot reported that he conducted a straight in approach to runway 31. The pilot stated that he chose runway 31 because the intersecting grass runway (4/22) was closed due to blimp operations that were being conducted on the airfield. Shortly after touchdown, a sudden gust of wind relaunched the airplane into the air. The pilot stated that the wind gust was so strong that he could not keep the airplane aligned with the runway. The airplane settled onto the runway and exited the paved runway surface to the left. The nose landing gear dug into the soft ground and the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. The reported wind was from 210° at 13 kts, gusting to 18 kts. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane that would have precluded normal operations. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • — Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot
  • — Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Directional control-Not attained/maintained
  • — Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-Crosswind-Contributed to outcome

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2025_CEN25LA238.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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