Flight Design GMBH CTLS accident near Newport, Rhode Island, September 2, 2017
On September 2, 2017 at about 9:30 pm local time, a 2008 Flight Design GMBH CTLS, registered N547CT, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Newport, Rhode Island (Newport State airport). It was an instructional 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot’s improper landing flare, which resulted in a hard, bounced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 2, 2017 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Newport, Rhode Island · Newport State · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Flight Design GMBH CTLS NO SERIES, built 2008 · all CTLSs on the register
- Registration
- N547CT · no longer on the register · serial 08-01-18
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The solo student pilot reported that, during the landing flare, he "felt an updraft," and the airplane landed hard. The airplane bounced, the nose landing gear (NLG) struck the ground, the airplane bounced again, and he then performed a go-around. The student entered the traffic pattern and landed without further incident. The student reported that, during the taxi to the ramp, the rudder pedals "felt funny." He added that, as he and the flight instructor put a cover over the airplane, he noticed the NLG "looked funny." He asked a local mechanic to examine the airplane and then decided to send the airplane to a repair station to be repaired. During the airplane repair, it was revealed that the airplane sustained substantial damage to the engine mounts. The student reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. A review of recorded data from the automated weather observation station located on the airport revealed that, about 30 minutes before the accident, the wind was from 180° at 8 knots. The same weather observation station reported that, about 23 minutes after the accident, the wind was from 190° at 5 knots. The airplane landed on runway 22.
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
- Other weather encounter during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Hard landing during landing
- Abnormal runway contact during landing defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Updraft › Effect on operation
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 140 hours in all; 130 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 456 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 14, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 1,320 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912ULS (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: UUU Newport RI at 9:00 pm
- Destination: UUU Newport RI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 22, 2,999 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 200 ft
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.20 inHg
- Observation at 9:00 pm from KUUU
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number GAA17CA577.