Flight CTLS N772CT

Summary

On 7 February 2010 at about 20:53 local time, a Flight CTLS registered N772CT, operated by Paragon Flight Training Centers Ltd, was involved in an accident near Fort Myers, Florida, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

7 February 2010 at 20:53

Classification

Accident

Location

Fort Myers, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

Page Field Airport (FMY)

Coordinates

26.5867, -81.8633

Aircraft

Flight CTLS

Registration

N772CT

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Paragon Flight Training Centers Ltd

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Fort Myers → Fort Myers

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA10CA137

Nobody was injured.

The student pilot's failure to maintain directional control during takeoff.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The student pilot of the special light-sport airplane stated that he had performed six touch-and-go landings with his certified flight instructor (CFI), and at the completion, his instructor approved him for solo flight. He obtained the automated terminal information service, which indicated the wind was from 320 degrees at 10 knots, and he taxied to runway 31. He began the takeoff roll and felt that the airplane was being pushed from the left. He corrected with rudder input and felt as though he was being pushed back to the right, even though he had corrective rudder input. He applied left rudder input again, but the airplane went off the runway and contacted the ground, nosing over. The student exited the inverted airplane and was not injured. The student’s CFI, who was watching the takeoff, reported that during the takeoff roll the airplane began veering towards the left side of the runway. Briefly, the CFI saw the nose and left main landing gear off the runway about 6 to 12 inches, before seeing them contact the runway surface. The CFI further reported that while on the ground the airplane then collided with a taxiway sign, causing the airplane to nose over. Postaccident inspection of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration airworthiness inspector revealed no evidence of preimpact failure or malfunction of the flight controls.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.