Flight Design CTSW accident near Rogersville, Tennessee, July 26, 2005
On July 26, 2005 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Flight Design CTSW, registered N84FS, was substantially damaged in an accident near Rogersville, Tennessee (Hawkins County airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight instructor's failure to maintain directional control which resulted in a on ground collision with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 26, 2005 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Rogersville, Tennessee · Hawkins County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Flight Design CTSW
- Registration
- N84FS · registry record · serial 04-12-08
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While attempting to make a normal landing, the private pilot lost directional control of the airplane. The flight instructor tried to regain positive control of the airplane, but the flight controls were unresponsive. As the airplane drifted to the right, the flight instructor elected to land on the grass to the right of the runway. During the landing roll on the grass, the airplane collided with a draining ditch, the nose gear collapsed and the airplane nosed over. Post-accident examination of the flight control surfaces revealed that all flight controls revealed no mechanical failures. Neither pilot reported a mechanical problem with the airplane.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 196 hours in all; 65 in this make and model; 70 in the last 90 days; 29 in the last 30 days; 134 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,739 hours in all; 25 in this make and model; 151 in the last 90 days; 66 in the last 30 days; 1,570 as pilot in command; 1,230 on instruments
- Last flight review: January 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 80 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 1, 2005; 30 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,320 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912ULS (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OVG Lee County VA at 5:30 pm
- Destination: RVN Rogersville TN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 25, 3,502 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 4 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 pm from ktri, 23 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N84FS the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.