Flight Design CTSW N138CT accident near Marion, North Carolina

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to maintain airplane control during takeoff, resulting in a rejected takeoff and runway excursion.

NTSB analysis

The pilot and passenger were departing for a cross-country flight in calm wind conditions. Shortly after liftoff, at an airspeed of about 46 knots, the airplane suddenly yawed to the right and came back down on the runway. The pilot elected to reject the takeoff. The airplane continued to veer to the right, and the airplane departed the runway and entered an area of soft terrain. The nose landing gear collapsed, and the airplane nosed over, resulting in substantial damage to the airframe. Following the accident, the pilot thought that the rudder had malfunctioned. However, examination of the flight controls revealed no evidence of a preaccident malfunction or anomaly. Thus, the pilot likely did not maintain yaw control of the airplane during the takeoff.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA21LA073 for the full record.