Flight Design CTSW accident near North Vernon, Indiana, July 13, 2009
On July 13, 2009 at about 9:48 pm local time, a Flight Design CTSW, registered N218AW, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near North Vernon, Indiana (North Vernon Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper landing flare which resulted in a stall and nose over during touchdown.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 13, 2009 · about 9:48 pm local time
- Place
- North Vernon, Indiana · North Vernon Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Flight Design CTSW
- Registration
- N218AW · no longer on the register · serial 06-11-07
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that during the landing flare the airplane pulled to the left. He added power and moved the control stick to the right, but without success, and inadvertently stalled the airplane. The airplane landed left wing low and on its nose after falling about three feet. The light sport airplane was not equipped with a stall warning horn. The airplane’s flight training supplement states the following about stalls: “The stall is noted through light buffeting. At 2 kts. (3 mph) above the stall speed, the rudder becomes “soft”. When flying close to stall speed, only the rudder and elevator are fully controllable. The ailerons have less effectiveness in very slow flight.”
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
What happened, in order
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Capability exceeded
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private, sport pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 636 hours in all; 17 in this make and model; 2 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912ULS (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: L&C Burbank Corp
The flight
- Departed from: OVO North Vernon IN at 9:30 pm
- Destination: OVO North Vernon IN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 05
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
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.
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.