Flight Design GMBH CTLS accident near Hungry Horse, Montana, November 18, 2023
On November 18, 2023 at about 7:25 pm local time, a 2016 Flight Design GMBH CTLS, registered N924RD, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Hungry Horse, Montana. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate fuel planning and improper in-flight decision-making, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 18, 2023 · about 7:25 pm local time · cases in 2023
- Place
- Hungry Horse, Montana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Flight Design GMBH CTLS, built 2016 · all CTLSs on the register
- Registration
- N924RD · registry record · serial F-16-01-51
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
About four hours into the repositioning flight, and about six miles from his intended destination, the pilot contacted the tower controller and was informed that the airport was under instrument flight rules (IFR) conditions, and that he was not cleared to land. The pilot made the decision to maneuver to the southeast to ascertain whether they should return to their home airport or land at a nearby airport and wait for the weather to clear. Shortly after departing the area enroute to an alternate airport, the airplane lost engine power. The pilot promptly attempted to restart the engine; however, his efforts were unsuccessful. The pilot subsequently executed a forced landing into a lake resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. He reported that there was no engine roughness or warnings before the engine quit, and it sounded as if the airplane ran out of fuel. He reported that he departed with 26.1 gallons of fuel and, according to the inflight computer, had about 5.72 gallons of remaining fuel when they arrived at the destination airport. In the recommendation section of the NTSB Accident/Incident Reporting Form 6120.1, the pilot listed ways that the accident could have been prevented, to include not relying on fuel management systems.
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
- Ditching during enroute (cruise)
- Fuel exhaustion during enroute (cruise) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management other cases naming the fuel system
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › (general) › (general) › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: sport pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 541 hours in all; 471 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 437 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 1, 2019
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 520 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 29, 2023; 45 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,320 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912ULS (piston); 520 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GTF Great Fall MT at 2:30 pm
- Destination: GPI Kalispell MT
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,200 ft; clear at 1,200 ft
- Temperature: 30°F (-1°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.99 inHg
- Observation at 11:28 am from KGPI, 11 miles away
Weather report (METAR): SPECI KGPI 181828Z 00000KT 4SM BR OVC007 M01/M02 A2999 RMK AO2 T10061017=
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Photographs from the investigation 2 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
Photograph 1 – View of airplane coming to rest upright in water
Photograph 2– Front view of recovered airplane with damage to lower fuselageThe NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on October 10, 2024. 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 Photos | PDF, 3 pages · our copy | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N924RD on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Flight Design Gmbh CTLS 142 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Engine: Rotax 912ULS 62 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Great Falls International · departed from
- Glacier Park International · bound for
- Accidents and incidents in Montana 1,121 since 1982 · 166 in the last ten years
- Montana 6,049 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/WPR24LA048.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.