What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Aircraft landed Traer, IA airport on runway 17, was in process of taxi to tie down area when an amateur-built aircraft was in the process of taking off from runway 17. Amateur-built aircraft engine started to run rough. Pilot started a left hand turn and then made a steep right turn back to the runway when the nose went down and struck this aircraft. Pilot of this aircraft suffered serious head injuries. Aircraft incurred fire damage and substantial structural damage. (.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 dire cted by [ground personnel] who was on the ground. The kit fox had departed on runway 17 and stalled overhead at 50-65 feet and struck 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 LANDED TRAER, IA AIRPORT ON RUNWAY 17, WAS IN PROCESS OF TAXI TO TIE DOWN AREA WHEN AN AMATEUR-BUILT AIRCRAFT WAS IN THE PROCESS OF TAKING OFF FROM RUNWAY 17. AMATEUR-BUILT AIRCRAFT ENGINE STARTED TO RUN ROUGH. PILOT STARTED A LEFT HAND TURN AND THEN MADE A STEEP RIGHT TURN BACK TO THE RUNWAY WHEN THE NOSE WENT DOWN AND STRUCK THIS AIRCRAFT. PILOT OF THIS AIRCRAFT SUFFERED SERIOUS HEAD INJURIES. AIRCRAFT INCURRED FIRE DAMAGE AND SUBSTANTIAL STRUCTURAL DAMAGE. (.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 DIRE CTED BY [GROUND PERSONNEL] WHO WAS ON THE GROUND. THE KIT FOX HAD DEPARTED ON RUNWAY 17 AND STALLED OVERHEAD AT 50-65 FEET AND STRUCK 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.
Other aircraft in the event · 1
Each aircraft in a collision has its own report.