OpenAirDocs.org

20040605010109A

Accident · Substantial damage
Open the Markdown

FAA accident report · Damico Michael J KITFOX SERIES 7 · Caldwell, ID · June 5, 2004

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
June 5, 2004 · 10:30 local
Place
Caldwell, ID
Airport
Caldwell Industrial Airport
Phase of flight
Forced/Precautionary Landing
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N1852N
NTSB investigation
NTSBSEA04LA103
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
440 total29 in this make and model35 in the last 90 days
N1852NRegistered now · Damico Michael J KITFOX SERIES 7S/N S60111-074Airframe modelDamico Michael J KITFOX SERIES 7Engine modelRotax SEE BOMBADIERReciprocating

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) This Kitfox was built by the owner/pilot. The aircraft received a special airworthiness certificate on April 24, 2004, in the experimental amateur-built category. It had been operated 10.1 hours since it was built. During takeoff the elevator control became stuck in position, the control could not be moved forward or aft. The aircraft went to a nose high attitude and the pilot used the trim tab to gain control of the aircraft. The aircraft landed hard on the remaining runway. The nose gear was torn off and the lower structure of the aircraft was bent, broken and crushed. During a post accident investigation, a bolt was found lying in the bottom of the aircraft's hull. By matching the bolt with other bolts in the control system, it was determined that this bolt had fallen out of the elevator control pushrod-rod end bolt hole. This bolt attached to a bell crank that was attached to a pushrod assembly that moved the elevator up and down. It could not be determined if the nut was ever on the bolt or if it had not been properly installed during the assembly process.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THIS KITFOX WAS BUILT BY THE OWNER/PILOT. THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED A SPECIAL AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE ON APRIL 24, 2004, IN THE EXPERIMENTAL AMATEUR-BUILT CATEGORY. IT HAD BEEN OPERATED 10.1 HOURS SINCE IT WAS BUILT. DURING TAKEOFF THE ELEVATOR CONTROL BECAME STUCK IN POSITION, THE CONTROL COULD NOT BE MOVED FORWARD OR AFT. THE AIRCRAFT WENT TO A NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE AND THE PILOT USED THE TRIM TAB TO GAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED HARD ON THE REMAINING RUNWAY. THE NOSE GEAR WAS TORN OFF AND THE LOWER STRUCTURE OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS BENT, BROKEN AND CRUSHED. DURING A POST ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION, A BOLT WAS FOUND LYING IN THE BOTTOM OF THE AIRCRAFT'S HULL. BY MATCHING THE BOLT WITH OTHER BOLTS IN THE CONTROL SYSTEM, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THIS BOLT HAD FALLEN OUT OF THE ELEVATOR CONTROL PUSHROD-ROD END BOLT HOLE. THIS BOLT ATTACHED TO A BELL CRANK THAT WAS ATTACHED TO A PUSHROD ASSEMBLY THAT MOVED THE ELEVATOR UP AND DOWN. IT COULD NOT BE DETERMINED IF THE NUT WAS EVER ON THE BOLT OR IF IT HAD NOT BEEN PROPERLY INSTALLED DURING THE ASSEMBLY PROCESS.

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 SEA04LA103Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportCaldwell, IDThe disconnection of the elevator pitch control assembly and the pitch rod during the takeoff as a result of an unsecured bolt.Jun 5, 2004 · Substantial damage