Flight Design CTLS accident near Encino, New Mexico, March 4, 2020
On March 4, 2020 at about 7:40 pm local time, a 2008 Flight Design CTLS, registered N505MA, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Encino, New Mexico. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A partial loss of engine power due to fuel starvation, which likely resulted from a leak in the fuel system.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 4, 2020 · about 7:40 pm local time
- Place
- Encino, New Mexico · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Flight Design CTLS UNDESIGNAT, built 2008
- Registration
- N505MA · registry record · serial F-08-05-08
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the preflight inspection, the pilot conducted a visual fuel level check through the sight gauges in each wing. He determined that right wing had 7 gallons of fuel and the left wing had 6 gallons of fuel which he deemed was enough for a one-hour local flight. About 35 minutes after take-off, the engine started to "surge". The pilot manipulated the throttle lever several times, but there were no corresponding responses from the engine. The pilot elected to land on a nearby road; however, as he turned from base to final for the road, the engine "surged to life." The landing gear contacted the grass, and the airplane subsequently came to rest inverted. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed an unmeasured amount of fuel in the right wing, and the left wing appeared to be empty. The gascolator drain valve was opened and no liquid was drained. Because the gascolator was located at the lowest point in the fuel system and contained no fluid, it is likely the engine was starved of fuel. An accumulation of dirt was noted on the fuselage lower belly skin (in the vicinity where a fuel drain tube exits the engine compartment), which was consistent with evidence of a previous fuel leak. Additionally, the area around the engine-driven fuel pump also exhibited evidence of a previous leak. The location of the potential leak could not be determined based on available information.
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 engine power (partial) during enroute defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,173 hours in all; 329 in this make and model; 14.6 in the last 90 days; 3.9 in the last 30 days; 2,034.8 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 638 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 6, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 1,320 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912 ULS (piston); 638 hours total
- Operator: Mauldin Aviation LLC
The flight
- Departed from: 0E0 Moriarty NM at 7:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:36 am from KCQC, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on April 26, 2022. 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, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Roc - Initial | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Engine and Airframe Exam | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Email Report-(residue Removed from Aircraft Fuselage) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Photos (Courtesy of Operator) | PDF, 9 pages | 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.