Flight Design CTSW accident near St. George, Utah, August 26, 2007
On August 26, 2007, a Flight Design CTSW, registered N775CT, was substantially damaged in an accident near St. George, Utah (St. George Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The loss of engine power during approach for an undetermined reason. Contributing to the accident was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 26, 2007
- Place
- St. George, Utah · St. George Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Flight Design CTSW
- Registration
- N775CT · no longer on the register · serial 05-05-01
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot had just purchased the special light sport airplane and was flying it cross country to his home. He had received several hours of flight training and completed a flight review in the airplane the day before the accident. The accident flight was uneventful until about 20 miles from the destination, at which point the engine began to run rough. The pilot determined that the choke had "worked its way back about 3/4 of an inch." He "eased" the choke off and the engine roughness stopped. The engine lost complete power about 5 miles from the destination as the pilot entered the downwind leg for landing on runway 16. The pilot reported that he attempted to glide to the airport; however, the sink rate was excessive and he located a small clearing in the boulders on the bluff ahead and elected "to stall in vertically rather than to tumble over the rocks horizontally." He intentionally stalled the airplane at an altitude of 10 feet above ground. The airplane impacted the terrain, nosed over and came to rest inverted. The pilot added that he could have deployed the airplane's BRS parachute (a rocket deployed emergency parachute system), but "chose not to because we could have been blown over the dense population area, very near" to the accident site. Fuel was observed leaking from the wreckage the day after the accident. Initially during post-accident examination, the engine could not be rotated by hand. A broken snap ring was found jamming the gears in the propeller gearbox. According to the engine manufacturer's representative, it is common to find this snap ring broken in engines that have sustained impact damage. The snap ring was replaced and the engine was test run. The engine developed near 100 percent performance. The ignition system was checked and functioned normally. No discrepancies were noted that would have prevented normal engine operation and production of power. The reason for the loss of engine power could not be determined.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 732 hours in all; 11 in this make and model; 621 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 1, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 459 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 2007
- Maximum gross weight: 1,320 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912 ULS (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SNS Salinas CA at 8:30 pm
- Destination: SGU St. George UT
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 18 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 100°F (38°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.85 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.