What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
This narrative is based on witness statements, family member statements and examination of the accident site. The pilot has been unavailable for comment due to his injuries. This report will be amended after an interview with the pilot is accomplished.
On Thursday October 14, 2021 an accident/incident report was generated for civil aircraft, registration N9259M, an experimental amatuer built Kitfox IV 1200, serial number 1871. The report stated that at approximately 5:22PM eastern daylight time, the aircraft, piloted by privacy data omitted the lone occupant, crashed into a small body of water approximately 150 yards southeast of North Canaan airport, a small, privately owned facility with a grass runway. The pilot filled up the aircraft with approximately 10 gallons of motor gas (mogas) prior to his departure from North Canaan. The pilot took off in a northerly direction when on climbout, the engine began to sputter. The pilot brought the throttle back to idle and the sputtering subsided. The pilot attmepted a 180 degree turn to return to the grass runway, but on approach, he was going too fast to land so he initiated a go-around heading south. After adding full power on the go-around, the engine once again began to sputter and the pilot once again attempted a 180 degree turn to return to the grass runway. During this turn, the aircraft failed to maintain altitude and impacted the tree tops approximately 150 yard southeast of the runway. The aircraft remained stuck in the trees momentarily before falling nose first to the ground. The aircraft came to rest in the small body of water on private property. The engine was completely submerged in mud and water.
A neighbor who heard the accident occur rushed to the scene and assisted in extracting the pilot from the wreckage and called 911. The pilot was transported to the hospital with serious injuries. Witnesses stated the pilot did attempt to reconfigure the aircraft after being extracted, turning off fuel flow, both magneto switches and the master switch to the aircraft.
The aircraft was removed the following day after photographic evidence was taken. An examination of the aircraft showed major damage to the leading edge of both wings, the left flaperon, the engine, propellers, the structural area around the cockpit, the rudder pedals, and instrument panel.
As the FAA filed it
THIS NARRATIVE IS BASED ON WITNESS STATEMENTS, FAMILY MEMBER STATEMENTS AND EXAMINATION OF THE ACCIDENT SITE. THE PILOT HAS BEEN UNAVAILABLE FOR COMMENT DUE TO HIS INJURIES. THIS REPORT WILL BE AMENDED AFTER AN INTERVIEW WITH THE PILOT IS ACCOMPLISHED.
ON THURSDAY OCTOBER 14, 2021 AN ACCIDENT/INCIDENT REPORT WAS GENERATED FOR CIVIL AIRCRAFT, REGISTRATION N9259M, AN EXPERIMENTAL AMATUER BUILT KITFOX IV 1200, SERIAL NUMBER 1871. THE REPORT STATED THAT AT APPROXIMATELY 5:22PM EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, THE AIRCRAFT, PILOTED BY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ THE LONE OCCUPANT, CRASHED INTO A SMALL BODY OF WATER APPROXIMATELY 150 YARDS SOUTHEAST OF NORTH CANAAN AIRPORT, A SMALL, PRIVATELY OWNED FACILITY WITH A GRASS RUNWAY. THE PILOT FILLED UP THE AIRCRAFT WITH APPROXIMATELY 10 GALLONS OF MOTOR GAS (MOGAS) PRIOR TO HIS DEPARTURE FROM NORTH CANAAN. THE PILOT TOOK OFF IN A NORTHERLY DIRECTION WHEN ON CLIMBOUT, THE ENGINE BEGAN TO SPUTTER. THE PILOT BROUGHT THE THROTTLE BACK TO IDLE AND THE SPUTTERING SUBSIDED. THE PILOT ATTMEPTED A 180 DEGREE TURN TO RETURN TO THE GRASS RUNWAY, BUT ON APPROACH, HE WAS GOING TOO FAST TO LAND SO HE INITIATED A GO-AROUND HEADING SOUTH. AFTER ADDING FULL POWER ON THE GO-AROUND, THE ENGINE ONCE AGAIN BEGAN TO SPUTTER AND THE PILOT ONCE AGAIN ATTEMPTED A 180 DEGREE TURN TO RETURN TO THE GRASS RUNWAY. DURING THIS TURN, THE AIRCRAFT FAILED TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE AND IMPACTED THE TREE TOPS APPROXIMATELY 150 YARD SOUTHEAST OF THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT REMAINED STUCK IN THE TREES MOMENTARILY BEFORE FALLING NOSE FIRST TO THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST IN THE SMALL BODY OF WATER ON PRIVATE PROPERTY. THE ENGINE WAS COMPLETELY SUBMERGED IN MUD AND WATER.
A NEIGHBOR WHO HEARD THE ACCIDENT OCCUR RUSHED TO THE SCENE AND ASSISTED IN EXTRACTING THE PILOT FROM THE WRECKAGE AND CALLED 911. THE PILOT WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL WITH SERIOUS INJURIES. WITNESSES STATED THE PILOT DID ATTEMPT TO RECONFIGURE THE AIRCRAFT AFTER BEING EXTRACTED, TURNING OFF FUEL FLOW, BOTH MAGNETO SWITCHES AND THE MASTER SWITCH TO THE AIRCRAFT.
THE AIRCRAFT WAS REMOVED THE FOLLOWING DAY AFTER PHOTOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE WAS TAKEN. AN EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT SHOWED MAJOR DAMAGE TO THE LEADING EDGE OF BOTH WINGS, THE LEFT FLAPERON, THE ENGINE, PROPELLERS, THE STRUCTURAL AREA AROUND THE COCKPIT, THE RUDDER PEDALS, AND INSTRUMENT PANEL.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.