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19980627023829A

Accident · Substantial damage
Open the Markdown

FAA accident report · Amtrdf Kitfox · Fountain Hills, AZ · June 27, 1998

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
June 27, 1998 · 15:00 local
Place
Fountain Hills, AZ
Airport
Goldfield Ranch Airport
Phase of flight
Roll-Out (Fixed Wing)
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N75MZ
NTSB investigation
NTSBLAX98LA215
Reported as
Amtrdf Kitfox
Reported engine
ROTAX ROTAX582
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
680 total70 in this make and model12 in the last 90 days
N75MZRegistration cancelled Jun 9, 2008 · Zimmerman Michael H KITFOX 4-1200S/N 1913 · Built 1995Airframe modelZimmerman Michael H KITFOX 4-1200Engine modelBombardier ROTAX (ALL)Reciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

The pilot reported that the windsock on the south end of the airport showed that the wind was coming from a direction of 200 degrees at a velocity of 8-10 mph. After touchdown, a right crosswind caused the aircraft to veer to the right. The pilot reported that he applied full left rudder, right aileron and up elevator, and added power. The aircraft continued to swerve to the right and was weather vaning. The right main tire left the ground and the tail wheel was skipping. As the aircraft departed the right side of the landing area, the right wing contacted a tree and the landing gear and left wing tip impacted a berm along the edge of the landing area. The aircraft flipped over inverted and continued to slide about 20 feet down to the bottom of the ravine on the edge of the runway. The pilot further reported that he had not experienced any mechanical malfunction with the aircraft prior to the accident. (-23) pilot reported that on the landing roll, a gust of wind lifted the right wing causing the aircraft to veer off the runway striking a tree then came to rest inverted in a ravine. Pilot reported trying to correct for the gust with controlled inputs, but the aircraft continued to the right and down into the ravine.

As the FAA filed it

THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE WINDSOCK ON THE SOUTH END OF THE AIRPORT SHOWED THAT THE WIND WAS COMING FROM A DIRECTION OF 200 DEGREES AT A VELOCITY OF 8-10 MPH. AFTER TOUCHDOWN, A RIGHT CROSSWIND CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO VEER TO THE RIGHT. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE APPLIED FULL LEFT RUDDER, RIGHT AILERON AND UP ELEVATOR, AND ADDED POWER. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO SWERVE TO THE RIGHT AND WAS WEATHER VANING. THE RIGHT MAIN TIRE LEFT THE GROUND AND THE TAIL WHEEL WAS SKIPPING. AS THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE LANDING AREA, THE RIGHT WING CONTACTED A TREE AND THE LANDING GEAR AND LEFT WING TIP IMPACTED A BERM ALONG THE EDGE OF THE LANDING AREA. THE AIRCRAFT FLIPPED OVER INVERTED AND CONTINUED TO SLIDE ABOUT 20 FEET DOWN TO THE BOTTOM OF THE RAVINE ON THE EDGE OF THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT FURTHER REPORTED THAT HE HAD NOT EXPERIENCED ANY MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION WITH THE AIRCRAFT PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. (-23) PILOT REPORTED THAT ON THE LANDING ROLL, A GUST OF WIND LIFTED THE RIGHT WING CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO VEER OFF THE RUNWAY STRIKING A TREE THEN CAME TO REST INVERTED IN A RAVINE. PILOT REPORTED TRYING TO CORRECT FOR THE GUST WITH CONTROLLED INPUTS, BUT THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO THE RIGHT AND DOWN INTO THE RAVINE.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB LAX98LA215Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportFountain Hills, AZThe failure of the pilot to maintain directional control during the landing roll in a crosswind.Jun 27, 1998 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N75MZ · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 19960421015279IRoll-Out (Fixed Wing) · Tucson, AZNarrative: during normal landing with slight tailwind, pilot failed to properly control aircraft on touchdown. Acft. Veered sideways and rt. Main landing gear collapsed during attempt to straighten out. Inspection of rt. Gear showed no structural failures,…Apr 21, 1996 · Minor damage