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20150106000279I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Carter Jay M KITFOX S-6 · Mesa, AZ · January 6, 2015

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
January 6, 2015 · 10:31 local
Place
Mesa, AZ
Phase of flight
Taxi
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N252
Reported as
Carter Jay M Kitfox S-6
Reported engine
Lycoming 0-290 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
1,699 total141 in this make and model10 in the last 90 days
N252Registered now · Carter Jay M KITFOX S-6S/N S60005-026 · Built 2005Airframe modelCarter Jay M KITFOX S-6Engine modelRotax 912ULS series4 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.

Taxiing for takeoff runway 4R, at kffz, sw bound along taxiway-d, was taxiing slightly too fast when I applied the brakes approaching the hold bar at the intersection of taxiways d and D1 and aircraft nosed over damaging propeller and spinner. No damage to cowling, engine mounts, firewall or any other structures to aircraft.

Contributing factors:

Aircraft -> a Lycoming O-290-D2 is installed on this Kitfox S-6 resulting in a nose heavy aircraft, in fact a concrete ballast is installed in the tail to bring the aircraft within allowable CG range. A Rotax 912ULS engine and propeller, the typical, and much lighter, engine configuration for this aircraft, along with Kitfox aircraft?s firewall forward installation kit has been purchased for this aircraft to reduce overall weight and bring the CG into the middle of the envelope. This engine will now be installed, resulting in an aircraft configuration with better ground handling characteristics.

Environment -> a king air that had received an IFR clearance just prior to my taxi clearance was behind me on taxiway delta, I wanted to ensure that I was clear of taxiway alfa to avoid any undue delay on their departure and therefore taxied at a slightly faster speed than normal, and delayed my braking until past taxiway a, this extra momentum, in addition to the nose heavy configuration of this particular Kitfox, contributed to the incident.

As the FAA filed it

TAXIING FOR TAKEOFF RUNWAY 4R, AT KFFZ, SW BOUND ALONG TAXIWAY-D, WAS TAXIING SLIGHTLY TOO FAST WHEN I APPLIED THE BRAKES APPROACHING THE HOLD BAR AT THE INTERSECTION OF TAXIWAYS D AND D1 AND AIRCRAFT NOSED OVER DAMAGING PROPELLER AND SPINNER. NO DAMAGE TO COWLING, ENGINE MOUNTS, FIREWALL OR ANY OTHER STRUCTURES TO AIRCRAFT.

CONTRIBUTING FACTORS:

AIRCRAFT -> A LYCOMING O-290-D2 IS INSTALLED ON THIS KITFOX S-6 RESULTING IN A NOSE HEAVY AIRCRAFT, IN FACT A CONCRETE BALLAST IS INSTALLED IN THE TAIL TO BRING THE AIRCRAFT WITHIN ALLOWABLE CG RANGE. A ROTAX 912ULS ENGINE AND PROPELLER, THE TYPICAL, AND MUCH LIGHTER, ENGINE CONFIGURATION FOR THIS AIRCRAFT, ALONG WITH KITFOX AIRCRAFT?S FIREWALL FORWARD INSTALLATION KIT HAS BEEN PURCHASED FOR THIS AIRCRAFT TO REDUCE OVERALL WEIGHT AND BRING THE CG INTO THE MIDDLE OF THE ENVELOPE. THIS ENGINE WILL NOW BE INSTALLED, RESULTING IN AN AIRCRAFT CONFIGURATION WITH BETTER GROUND HANDLING CHARACTERISTICS.

ENVIRONMENT -> A KING AIR THAT HAD RECEIVED AN IFR CLEARANCE JUST PRIOR TO MY TAXI CLEARANCE WAS BEHIND ME ON TAXIWAY DELTA, I WANTED TO ENSURE THAT I WAS CLEAR OF TAXIWAY ALFA TO AVOID ANY UNDUE DELAY ON THEIR DEPARTURE AND THEREFORE TAXIED AT A SLIGHTLY FASTER SPEED THAN NORMAL, AND DELAYED MY BRAKING UNTIL PAST TAXIWAY A, THIS EXTRA MOMENTUM, IN ADDITION TO THE NOSE HEAVY CONFIGURATION OF THIS PARTICULAR KITFOX, CONTRIBUTED TO THE INCIDENT.