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20230511005999A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Kitfox IV · Wisconsin Rapid, WI · May 11, 2023

FAA Aviation Safety Information PortalNTSB investigation search

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Date
May 11, 2023 · 11:05 local
Place
Wisconsin Rapid, WI
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N2485F
Reported as
Kitfox IV
Reported engine
Volkswagen CONVERSION
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
2
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
1,539 total56 in this make and model
N2485FRegistered now · Baudhuin Rodney KITFOX MODEL IVS/N CCU 009 · Built 2007Airframe modelBaudhuin Rodney KITFOX MODEL IVEngine modelVolkswagen CONVERSIONReciprocating

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.

On may 11, 2023, an experimental Kitfox iv departed alexander field south wood county airport (kisw), WI and approximately 4 nautical miles southeast at 2500 feet, experienced an engine failure. The aircraft attempted a return to the airport and made an emergency landing on whitrock ave, Wisconsin rapids, WI. The aircraft touched down west of 16th ave, approximately 1850 feet from the accident site. During rollout the aircraft’s left wing scraped over the roof of a parked vehicle, then struck a known object speed limit sign on the right wing, veering the aircraft to the right. The nose gear and propeller caught the side of the road and flipped the aircraft over where it came to rest upside down. The aircraft sustained minor damage to the right wing, the vertical stabilizer and the empennage. The pilot in commnd (PIC), suffered minor injuries and the passenger suffered serious injuries and was hospitalized. NTSB classified the event as an accident. The primary root cause was determined to be engine faulure. Fuel contamination and the pic’s mishandling of the aircraft during the emergency landing were contributing secondary causal factors.

As the FAA filed it

ON MAY 11, 2023, AN EXPERIMENTAL KITFOX IV DEPARTED ALEXANDER FIELD SOUTH WOOD COUNTY AIRPORT (KISW), WI AND APPROXIMATELY 4 NAUTICAL MILES SOUTHEAST AT 2500 FEET, EXPERIENCED AN ENGINE FAILURE. THE AIRCRAFT ATTEMPTED A RETURN TO THE AIRPORT AND MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING ON WHITROCK AVE, WISCONSIN RAPIDS, WI. THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN WEST OF 16TH AVE, APPROXIMATELY 1850 FEET FROM THE ACCIDENT SITE. DURING ROLLOUT THE AIRCRAFT’S LEFT WING SCRAPED OVER THE ROOF OF A PARKED VEHICLE, THEN STRUCK A KNOWN OBJECT SPEED LIMIT SIGN ON THE RIGHT WING, VEERING THE AIRCRAFT TO THE RIGHT. THE NOSE GEAR AND PROPELLER CAUGHT THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND FLIPPED THE AIRCRAFT OVER WHERE IT CAME TO REST UPSIDE DOWN. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT WING, THE VERTICAL STABILIZER AND THE EMPENNAGE. THE PILOT IN COMMND (PIC), SUFFERED MINOR INJURIES AND THE PASSENGER SUFFERED SERIOUS INJURIES AND WAS HOSPITALIZED. NTSB CLASSIFIED THE EVENT AS AN ACCIDENT. THE PRIMARY ROOT CAUSE WAS DETERMINED TO BE ENGINE FAULURE. FUEL CONTAMINATION AND THE PIC’S MISHANDLING OF THE AIRCRAFT DURING THE EMERGENCY LANDING WERE CONTRIBUTING SECONDARY CAUSAL FACTORS.