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19980712016371A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Amtr Classiciv · Traer, IA · July 12, 1998

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
July 12, 1998 · 10:03 local
Place
Traer, IA
Airport
Traer Municipal Airport
Phase of flight
Climb
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Collision
Midair collision, first aircraft
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N494S
NTSB investigation
NTSBCHI98FA244
Reported as
Amtr Classiciv
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
1
Pilot’s flight hours
282 total107 in this make and model41 in the last 90 days
N494SRegistration cancelled May 11, 2000 · Stubbe Kenneth D KITFOX CLASSIC IVS/N C9404-0019Airframe modelStubbe Kenneth D KITFOX CLASSIC IV

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.

(-23) Aircraft departed Traer, Iowa airport on runway 17. Witnesses stated that after approximately 60-100 feet of altitude, engine started to run rough. Aircraft started a left turn, and then made a steep right turn back to the runway when the nose went down and struck an aircraft on the ground. The aircraft on the ground was taxiing to the tie down area on the Traer airport. Post crash fire resulted destroying this aircraft. (.4) the experimental Kitfox had departed and according to a witness, 'the Kitfox was slow and had a definite nose-up pitch. My very first thought when I saw the Kitfox was that the pilot was, for some reason, demonstrating slow flight. But almost as quickly, I recognized an impending stall was about to happen. The wings of the Kitfox were rocking back and forth and the nose was yawing. The Kitfox then stalled and collided with the BT-13 hitting the BT-13 in the front cockpit area and right wing before impacting the ground. ... The Kitfox came to rest inverted and burst into flames immediately after impact.' According to the pilot of the BT-13, 'I was being directed by [ground personnel] who was on the ground. The kit fox had departed on runway 17 and stalled overhead at 50-65 feet ans stuck my airplane. My prop slashed through the wreckage of the airplane and then slammed the kit fox to the ground where it exploded.'

As the FAA filed it

(-23) AIRCRAFT DEPARTED TRAER, IOWA AIRPORT ON RUNWAY 17. WITNESSES STATED THAT AFTER APPROXIMATELY 60-100 FEET OF ALTITUDE, ENGINE STARTED TO RUN ROUGH. AIRCRAFT STARTED A LEFT TURN, AND THEN MADE A STEEP RIGHT TURN BACK TO THE RUNWAY WHEN THE NOSE WENT DOWN AND STRUCK AN AIRCRAFT ON THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT ON THE GROUND WAS TAXIING TO THE TIE DOWN AREA ON THE TRAER AIRPORT. POST CRASH FIRE RESULTED DESTROYING THIS AIRCRAFT. (.4) THE EXPERIMENTAL KITFOX HAD DEPARTED AND ACCORDING TO A WITNESS, 'THE KITFOX WAS SLOW AND HAD A DEFINITE NOSE-UP PITCH. MY VERY FIRST THOUGHT WHEN I SAW THE KITFOX WAS THAT THE PILOT WAS, FOR SOME REASON, DEMONSTRATING SLOW FLIGHT. BUT ALMOST AS QUICKLY, I RECOGNIZED AN IMPENDING STALL WAS ABOUT TO HAPPEN. THE WINGS OF THE KITFOX WERE ROCKING BACK AND FORTH AND THE NOSE WAS YAWING. THE KITFOX THEN STALLED AND COLLIDED WITH THE BT-13 HITTING THE BT-13 IN THE FRONT COCKPIT AREA AND RIGHT WING BEFORE IMPACTING THE GROUND. ... THE KITFOX CAME TO REST INVERTED AND BURST INTO FLAMES IMMEDIATELY AFTER IMPACT.' ACCORDING TO THE PILOT OF THE BT-13, 'I WAS BEING DIRECTED BY [GROUND PERSONNEL] WHO WAS ON THE GROUND. THE KIT FOX HAD DEPARTED ON RUNWAY 17 AND STALLED OVERHEAD AT 50-65 FEET ANS STUCK MY AIRPLANE. MY PROP SLASHED THROUGH THE WRECKAGE OF THE AIRPLANE AND THEN SLAMMED THE KIT FOX TO THE GROUND WHERE IT EXPLODED.'

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 CHI98FA244Accident · 1 fatalField investigationFinal reportTraer, IAthe failure of the pilot of the Kitfox to maintain flying speed (Vs).Jul 12, 1998 · 2 aircraft · Destroyed

Other aircraft in the event · 1

Each aircraft in a collision has its own report.

N70035Cvac BT15Accident 19980712016372A · Substantial damage