Flightworks CORP CAPELLA XS FW2C80TD accident near Hartselle, Alabama, March 23, 2018
On March 23, 2018 at about 11:30 pm local time, a 1995 Flightworks CORP CAPELLA XS FW2C80TD, registered N654MM, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Hartselle, Alabama (Hartselle-Morgan County Region 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 failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 23, 2018 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Hartselle, Alabama · Hartselle-Morgan County Region · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Flightworks CORP CAPELLA XS FW2C80TD NO SERIES, built 1995
- Registration
- N654MM · registry record · serial 91008
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, during a wheel landing, the airplane began to drift to the left while the tail was still in the air. He added that he added right rudder to no avail. He added that he "went to full power too late", the right wing struck the ground, and the airplane came to rest in a ditch to the left of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
- Dragged wing/rotor/float/other during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 151 hours in all; 44 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 151 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 16, 2017
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 371.5 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 1,200 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912 (piston); 372 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 5M0 Hartselle AL
- Destination: 5M0 Hartselle AL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 3,599 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 120° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 7,500 ft; a few clouds at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.15 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from KDCU, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on May 9, 2018. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Photo | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.