# Accident 20120627011589A: Rehn Gerald F KITFOX IV, Vancouver, WA, June 27, 2012

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: June 27, 2012, 16:00 local time
- Place: Vancouver, WA
- Airport: Pearson Field Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 45.6203° N, 122.6547° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=45.6203&lon=-122.6547&mi=10
- Aircraft: N645GR, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N645GR-2017-09-18) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Rehn Gerald F KITFOX IV (registry code 05603FR, https://openairdocs.org/model/rehn-gerald-f-kitfox-iv) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Bombardier ROTAX (ALL) (registry code 09050, https://openairdocs.org/engine/bombardier-rotax-all) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: REHN GERALD F KITFOX IV
- Reported engine: BOMBARDIER ROTAX (ALL)
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 1
- Other injuries: 1
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB WPR12LA277](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR12LA277) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20120627011589A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

ON 06/27/2012, AT APPROX 1600, N645GR, CERTIFICATED AS A AMATEUR-BUILT KITFOX IV AIRPLANE, WITH ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ IN RIGHT SEAT, TOOK OFF FROM RWY 26 HEADED WEST FROM (KVUO).  AT APROX 150-300 FEET AGL, WITNESS REPORTED HE HEARD THE ENGINE SPUTTER AND DOES NOT REMEMBER HEARING ENGINE NOISE AFTER THAT.  THE RIGHT WING DROPPED WITH THE AIRPLANE MAKING A RIGHT-HAND TURN APPROX 160 DEGREES FROM PREVIOUS DIRECTION, WHICH APPEARED TO BE DELIBERATE.  THE WINGS LEVELED THEN THE AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO STALL AND IMPACT THE TERRAIN, A GRASSY FIELD ADJACENT TO THE RUNWAY, AT 10-15 DEGREES NOSE DOWN.  THE IMPACT SIGHT WAS APPROX 5 INCHES INTO THE EARTH AND MATCHED THE SHAPE OF THE FORWARD FUSELAGE.  THE WRECKAGE SLID FOR APPROX 30 FEET.  THE PILOT SITTING IN THE LEFT SEAT WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL HOSPITAL IN CRITICAL CONDITION AND THE PERSON IN THE RIGHT SEAT WAS DEAD AT THE SCENE.  SUBSEQUENT INVESTIGATION OF THE AIRCRAFT SHOWED THAT THE ENGINE DOES NOT APPEAR TO HAVE BEEN OPERATING AT THE TIME OF IMPACT.  THERE WAS APPROX 3 GAL OF AUTO FUEL IN LEFT WING FUEL TANK AND 6 GAL IN RIGHT WING FUEL TANK.  THE WING TANKS INLINE FUEL VALVES WERE OBSERVED TO BE IN THE OPEN POSITION.  THE MAIN FUEL VALVE WAS FOUND OPEN AND MASTER SWITCH ON BY A FIRST RESPONDER BUT CLOSED AND TURNED OFF DURING RESCUE ATTEMPT.  FUEL IN WINGS, FUEL FILTER, AND LEFT HAND CARBURETOR BOWL WERE CLEAN AND FREE CONTAMINATION.  THE RIGHT HAND CARBURETOR BOWL CONTAINED SMALL PIECES OF RED RTV SEALANT.  AIRCRAFT WAS REMOVED BY SALVAGE COMPANY WITH FURTHER INVESTIGATION OF ENGINE TO BE PERFORMED BY THE NTSB.PILOT INFORMATION INCOMPLETE DUE TO INACCESSIBILITY.  8020-23 WILL BE UPDATED IF OR WHEN ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR AN INTERVIEW.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB WPR12LA277](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR12LA277), Jun 27, 2012: Rehn Kitfox IV (N645GR), Vancouver, WA, substantial damage, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed during an attempt to return to the runway immediately after takeoff, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall. Contributing to the accident was foreign debris…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.