20090816015829A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Morsef KITFOX · Crawford, CO · August 16, 2009

Date: August 16, 2009 · 16:06 local
Place: Crawford, CO
Airport: Crawford
Phase of flight: Maneuver
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N39FM
NTSB investigation: NTSBCEN09CA528
Reported as: Morsef Kitfox
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 2,780 total40 in this make and model50 in the last 90 days

N39FMRegistration cancelled Jul 12, 2017 · Morse Frank L KITFOXS/N 76 · Built 1989 Airframe modelMorse Frank L KITFOX Engine modelRotax 582SER2 cycle

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) Flying over gently sloping hillside. Decided to check water line for air park during flight; made pass over water line head gate (150') to check winds, no downdraft noticed. Made lower pass (50') to check headgate, aircraft got caught in downdraft and could not recover. Clipped trees, impacted hillside. Aircraft substantially damaged (propeller shredded, right main landing folded under, nose gear broke off, tail bent ahead of horizontal and vertical stabilizers, forward spar on right hand wing broke off near tip). Cabin intact - no injuries.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) FLYING OVER GENTLY SLOPING HILLSIDE. DECIDED TO CHECK WATER LINE FOR AIR PARK DURING FLIGHT; MADE PASS OVER WATER LINE HEAD GATE (150') TO CHECK WINDS, NO DOWNDRAFT NOTICED. MADE LOWER PASS (50') TO CHECK HEADGATE, AIRCRAFT GOT CAUGHT IN DOWNDRAFT AND COULD NOT RECOVER. CLIPPED TREES, IMPACTED HILLSIDE. AIRCRAFT SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED (PROPELLER SHREDDED, RIGHT MAIN LANDING FOLDED UNDER, NOSE GEAR BROKE OFF, TAIL BENT AHEAD OF HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL STABILIZERS, FORWARD SPAR ON RIGHT HAND WING BROKE OFF NEAR TIP). CABIN INTACT - NO INJURIES.

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 CEN09CA528Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportCrawford, COThe pilot's continued flight into a severe downdraft at low altitude after encountering tailwind over the area.Aug 16, 2009 · Substantial damage