20190302000769A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Rempe Paul W KITFOX XL4 · Merritt Island, FL · March 2, 2019

Date: March 2, 2019 · 09:06 local
Place: Merritt Island, FL
Airport: Merritt Island
Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N93XL
NTSB investigation: NTSBERA19TA114
Reported as: Rempe Paul W Kitfox XL4
Reported engine: ROTAX 503ULDCDI
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 1
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 5,000 total50 in this make and model10 in the last 90 days

N93XLRegistered now · Rempe Paul W KITFOX XL4S/N BCX001 · Built 2009 Airframe modelRempe Paul W KITFOX XL4 Engine modelRotax 503ULDCDI2 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.

The aircraft was on final to runway 11, upon touching down the aircraft bounced and veered left. Full power was applied in an attempt to abort and go-around. The aircraft then went sharply right and exited the runway into the water and sank immediately. The pilot managed to get out of the shoulder harness, but had trouble getting out of the seatbelt. He finally released himself and floated to the surface at which time he was rescued.

As the FAA filed it

THE AIRCRAFT WAS ON FINAL TO RUNWAY 11, UPON TOUCHING DOWN THE AIRCRAFT BOUNCED AND VEERED LEFT. FULL POWER WAS APPLIED IN AN ATTEMPT TO ABORT AND GO-AROUND. THE AIRCRAFT THEN WENT SHARPLY RIGHT AND EXITED THE RUNWAY INTO THE WATER AND SANK IMMEDIATELY. THE PILOT MANAGED TO GET OUT OF THE SHOULDER HARNESS, BUT HAD TROUBLE GETTING OUT OF THE SEATBELT. HE FINALLY RELEASED HIMSELF AND FLOATED TO THE SURFACE AT WHICH TIME HE WAS RESCUED.

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 ERA19TA114Accident · Serious injuriesFinal reportMerritt Island, FLThe pilot's failure to maintain airplane control during an attempted go-around.Mar 2, 2019 · Substantial damage