NTSB CAROL · Event
Event ERA11CA254
Registry · N178CT
FAA Aircraft Registry record.
Make / Model
FLIGHT DESIGN GMBH CTLS
Year of manufacture
2008 · 3 years old at event
Engine
ROTAX 912ULS SERIES (100 hp)
Seats / Engines
2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
20081118
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A13729
Registrant of record
SUNBEAM AIR SPORT LLC
Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
The student pilot's improper flare, which resulted in a hard landing.
Factual narrative
According to the student pilot, he was performing his second solo flight in the pattern. During the flare on the first landing, the airplane porpoised on the runway, resulting in the nose wheel impacting the runway three times, oscillating harder each time. After the first landing, an air traffic controller contacted the flight school to inform them of the porpoised landing. The student pilot completed three more landings, taxied back to the ramp, and exited the airplane. The first assessment of the airplane revealed no obvious damage, and it was flown two more times before another examination of the airplane by the operator revealed substantial damage to the firewall. According to a Federal Aviation Administration inspector, there were no preexisting mechanical anomalies with the airplane. According to the student pilot, he was performing his second solo flight in the traffic pattern. During the flare on the first landing, the airplane porpoised on the runway, resulting in the nose wheel impacting the runway three times, oscillating harder each time. After the first landing, an air traffic controller contacted the flight school to inform them of the porpoised landing. The student pilot completed three more landings, taxied back to the ramp, and exited the airplane. The first assessment of the airplane revealed no obvious damage, and it was flown two more times before another examination of the airplane by the operator revealed substantial damage to the firewall. According to a Federal Aviation Administration inspector, there were no preexisting mechanical anomalies with the airplane. 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 Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Landing flare-Not attained/maintained - C
- C Personnel issues-Action/decision-Action-Incorrect action performance-Student pilot - C
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_2011_ERA11CA254.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
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