# Accident 20210620007929A: Harris Tim J KITFOX SERIES 6, Likely, CA, June 20, 2021

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: June 20, 2021, 09:00 local time
- Place: Likely, CA
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Takeoff: Rotation
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 41.2493° N, 120.5313° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.2493&lon=-120.5313&mi=10
- Aircraft: N617Y, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N617Y-2023-08-06) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Harris Tim J KITFOX SERIES 6 (registry code 05615H0, https://openairdocs.org/model/harris-tim-j-kitfox-series-6) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-235 series (registry code 41505, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-235-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: HARRIS TIM J KITFOX SERIES 6
- Reported engine: LYCOMING 0-235 SERIES
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 1
- Other injuries: 1
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 1,010 total
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB WPR21FA232](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR21FA232) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20210620007929A

## Narrative

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

ON JUNE 20, 2021, ABOUT 0900 PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A KITFOX SERIES 6 AIRPLANE, N617Y, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT NEAR LIKELY, CALIFORNIA. THE PILOT WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED, AND THE PASSENGER SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES. THE AIRPLANE WAS OPERATED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 AS A PERSONAL FLIGHT.

WITNESSES LOCATED NEAR THE ACCIDENT SITE REPORTED THAT THEY HAD SPOKEN TO THE PILOT AND PASSENGER ABOUT 10 MINUTES PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. FOLLOWING THEIR CONVERSATION, THEY WATCHED THE PILOT AND PASSENGER BOARD THE AIRPLANE. THE WITNESSES STATED THAT THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO TAKEOFF FROM THE FIELD ON A WESTERLY HEADING, HOWEVER, APPEARED THAT THEY COULD NOT GET ENOUGH SPEED. THE WITNESSES HEARD THE ENGINE THROTTLE DOWN AND WATCHED THE AIRPLANE TURN AROUND 180° AND INITIATE A SECOND ATTEMPT TO TAKEOFF. THE WITNESSES STATED THAT THE AIRPLANE HAD BECAME AIRBORNE ABOUT 20 YARDS FROM THE CANAL ROAD AND HAD CLIMBED TO ABOUT 10 TO 20 FT ABOVE THE GROUND. AS THE AIRPLANE APPROACHED THE CANAL, IT BEGAN TO DESCEND AND IMPACTED THE UPPER EASTERN EDGE OF THE CANAL, SPUN AROUND, AND SLID DOWN INTO THE WATER.

## 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 WPR21FA232](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR21FA232), Jun 20, 2021: Kitfox Series 6 (N617Y), Likely, CA, substantial damage, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot’s poor decision making in attempting a takeoff from a field with high vegetation and a high-density altitude, which resulted in decreased takeoff performance and impact with terrain.

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.

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