What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On June 4 , 2022 at 14:30 CDT, a Kitfox model 2, experimental aircraft suffered substantial damage after the pilot lost control during landing/touchdown and ground looped the aircraft at San Marcos Regional Airport (khyi) San Marcos, Texas. The VFR part 91 flight originated from (khyi)
No injures reported.
Pilot statement verbatim:
After several months of wind conditions that were not favorable to flying a very light experimental aircraft, I decided to fly to refresh my tailwheel proffecincy. It was a nice day & 5-9 knot winds so I was within my personal limit.
After flying for 1.6 hours I turned final for runway 8 @ khyi. Upon touching down, I experienced a classic ground loop due to getting behind the aircraft@ touchdown. The airplane looped to the left and the tires grabbed the asphalt due to the hot day. The airplane came to rest partially on the runway partially off. The r wheel had buckled under the plane, the r wingtip dug in & tailwheel sustained damage. No other issues no fire & no fuel leak. After cleared by the sat FSDO the aircraft was towed to the hangar, fuel drained & wings folded.
Pilot signed 6-13-22
Post-accident:
The FAA conducted an onsite inspection of the aircraft on June 6, 2022. FAA iic found damage to the right outer wing tip, possible internal rib twist mid span right wing and right flapperon damage. The right main landing gear wheel separated (fractured) at the shock strut attach point and the upper right landing gear frame attach point found cracked at fuselage . The tail wheel spring rear attach plate fractured from the vertical stabilizer, the forward tailwheel spring assembly attach bolt remained intact but twisted the frame . The aft left portion of fuselage frame forward of the elevator showed visible twisting of internal tube structure inside the fabric covering.
As the FAA filed it
ON JUNE 4 , 2022 AT 14:30 CDT, A KITFOX MODEL 2, EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT SUFFERED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AFTER THE PILOT LOST CONTROL DURING LANDING/TOUCHDOWN AND GROUND LOOPED THE AIRCRAFT AT SAN MARCOS REGIONAL AIRPORT (KHYI) SAN MARCOS, TEXAS. THE VFR PART 91 FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM (KHYI)
NO INJURES REPORTED.
PILOT STATEMENT VERBATIM:
AFTER SEVERAL MONTHS OF WIND CONDITIONS THAT WERE NOT FAVORABLE TO FLYING A VERY LIGHT EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT, I DECIDED TO FLY TO REFRESH MY TAILWHEEL PROFFECINCY. IT WAS A NICE DAY & 5-9 KNOT WINDS SO I WAS WITHIN MY PERSONAL LIMIT.
AFTER FLYING FOR 1.6 HOURS I TURNED FINAL FOR RUNWAY 8 @ KHYI. UPON TOUCHING DOWN, I EXPERIENCED A CLASSIC GROUND LOOP DUE TO GETTING BEHIND THE AIRCRAFT@ TOUCHDOWN. THE AIRPLANE LOOPED TO THE LEFT AND THE TIRES GRABBED THE ASPHALT DUE TO THE HOT DAY. THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST PARTIALLY ON THE RUNWAY PARTIALLY OFF. THE R WHEEL HAD BUCKLED UNDER THE PLANE, THE R WINGTIP DUG IN & TAILWHEEL SUSTAINED DAMAGE. NO OTHER ISSUES NO FIRE & NO FUEL LEAK. AFTER CLEARED BY THE SAT FSDO THE AIRCRAFT WAS TOWED TO THE HANGAR, FUEL DRAINED & WINGS FOLDED.
PILOT SIGNED 6-13-22
POST-ACCIDENT:
THE FAA CONDUCTED AN ONSITE INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT ON JUNE 6, 2022. FAA IIC FOUND DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT OUTER WING TIP, POSSIBLE INTERNAL RIB TWIST MID SPAN RIGHT WING AND RIGHT FLAPPERON DAMAGE. THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR WHEEL SEPARATED (FRACTURED) AT THE SHOCK STRUT ATTACH POINT AND THE UPPER RIGHT LANDING GEAR FRAME ATTACH POINT FOUND CRACKED AT FUSELAGE . THE TAIL WHEEL SPRING REAR ATTACH PLATE FRACTURED FROM THE VERTICAL STABILIZER, THE FORWARD TAILWHEEL SPRING ASSEMBLY ATTACH BOLT REMAINED INTACT BUT TWISTED THE FRAME . THE AFT LEFT PORTION OF FUSELAGE FRAME FORWARD OF THE ELEVATOR SHOWED VISIBLE TWISTING OF INTERNAL TUBE STRUCTURE INSIDE THE FABRIC COVERING.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N596JW · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.