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20020929028419I

Incident · Substantial damage
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FAA incident report · Amtr Kitfoxiv · Deland, FL · September 29, 2002

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
September 29, 2002 · 09:26 local
Place
Deland, FL
Airport
Deland Municipal-Sidney H Taylor
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N1441Z
NTSB investigation
NTSBMIA02LA172
Reported as
Amtr Kitfoxiv
N1441ZRegistration cancelled May 25, 2005 · Levee Ronald KITFOX 4S/N 1441 · Built 1993Airframe modelLevee Ronald KITFOX 4Engine 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.

(-23) Ronald frank levee, the pilot in command and sole occupant of kit fox, N1441Z, states that he departed Deland municipal airport, Deland, Florida at approximately 08:40 EDT on September 29, 2002, for a pleasure flight in the local area. He returned to Deland municipal airport at approximately 09:20 EDT for a full stop landing. Mr. Levee states that as he entered the downwind for runway 39, he noticed a Cessna 172 preparing for take off from runway 30. Mr. Levee states that as he turned final for runway 30, he observed that the Cessna 172 had taxied onto runway 30, but had not begun it's takeoff roll, Mr. Levee indicates that just as he was preparing to initiate a go-around because of the Cessna 172 still on the runway, the Cessna 172 began it's take off roll. Mr. Levee elected to continue the landing, and states that just as he began to touch down, the left wing rolled to the left, causing the left wing tip to strike the runway. Evidence at the crash site indicates that the aircraft then ground looped to the left and skidded off the left side of the runway into the grass. The right wing tip impacted the ground, and the right main gear collapsed and lodged under the fuselage. The left main wheel separated from the left main gear assembly, and the wooden propeller disintegrated as it struck the ground. The aircraft came to rest in an upright position on a heading of approximately 030 degrees, about 75 feet from the left side of runway 30. Mr. Levee was not injured, and exited the aircraft without assistance. In addition to the damage described above, the rear of the fuselage was twisted, and the bottom of the fuselage sustained damage from the collapsed right main gear assembly. In review of the circumstances associated with this accident, Mr. Levee states that he should have continued with his initial decision to go around rather than subject his lightweight, experimental airplane to prop blast and possible wake turbulence from the departing aircraft that was in close proximity to his aircraft during touchdown.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) RONALD FRANK LEVEE, THE PILOT IN COMMAND AND SOLE OCCUPANT OF KIT FOX, N1441Z, STATES THAT HE DEPARTED DELAND MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, DELAND, FLORIDA AT APPROXIMATELY 08:40 EDT ON SEPTEMBER 29, 2002, FOR A PLEASURE FLIGHT IN THE LOCAL AREA. HE RETURNED TO DELAND MUNICIPAL AIRPORT AT APPROXIMATELY 09:20 EDT FOR A FULL STOP LANDING. MR. LEVEE STATES THAT AS HE ENTERED THE DOWNWIND FOR RUNWAY 39, HE NOTICED A CESSNA 172 PREPARING FOR TAKE OFF FROM RUNWAY 30. MR. LEVEE STATES THAT AS HE TURNED FINAL FOR RUNWAY 30, HE OBSERVED THAT THE CESSNA 172 HAD TAXIED ONTO RUNWAY 30, BUT HAD NOT BEGUN IT'S TAKEOFF ROLL, MR. LEVEE INDICATES THAT JUST AS HE WAS PREPARING TO INITIATE A GO-AROUND BECAUSE OF THE CESSNA 172 STILL ON THE RUNWAY, THE CESSNA 172 BEGAN IT'S TAKE OFF ROLL. MR. LEVEE ELECTED TO CONTINUE THE LANDING, AND STATES THAT JUST AS HE BEGAN TO TOUCH DOWN, THE LEFT WING ROLLED TO THE LEFT, CAUSING THE LEFT WING TIP TO STRIKE THE RUNWAY. EVIDENCE AT THE CRASH SITE INDICATES THAT THE AIRCRAFT THEN GROUND LOOPED TO THE LEFT AND SKIDDED OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY INTO THE GRASS. THE RIGHT WING TIP IMPACTED THE GROUND, AND THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR COLLAPSED AND LODGED UNDER THE FUSELAGE. THE LEFT MAIN WHEEL SEPARATED FROM THE LEFT MAIN GEAR ASSEMBLY, AND THE WOODEN PROPELLER DISINTEGRATED AS IT STRUCK THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST IN AN UPRIGHT POSITION ON A HEADING OF APPROXIMATELY 030 DEGREES, ABOUT 75 FEET FROM THE LEFT SIDE OF RUNWAY 30. MR. LEVEE WAS NOT INJURED, AND EXITED THE AIRCRAFT WITHOUT ASSISTANCE. IN ADDITION TO THE DAMAGE DESCRIBED ABOVE, THE REAR OF THE FUSELAGE WAS TWISTED, AND THE BOTTOM OF THE FUSELAGE SUSTAINED DAMAGE FROM THE COLLAPSED RIGHT MAIN GEAR ASSEMBLY. IN REVIEW OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES ASSOCIATED WITH THIS ACCIDENT, MR. LEVEE STATES THAT HE SHOULD HAVE CONTINUED WITH HIS INITIAL DECISION TO GO AROUND RATHER THAN SUBJECT HIS LIGHTWEIGHT, EXPERIMENTAL AIRPLANE TO PROP BLAST AND POSSIBLE WAKE TURBULENCE FROM THE DEPARTING AIRCRAFT THAT WAS IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO HIS AIRCRAFT DURING TOUCHDOWN.

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 MIA02LA172Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportDe Land, FLThe failure of the pilot to maintain directional control of the airplane during the flare/touchdown resulting in substantial damage. A factor in the accident was the poor in-flight planning decision by the pilot for his continuing the approach in close…Sep 29, 2002 · Substantial damage