20240307002549A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Kolb FIRESTAR KXP · Cave Junction, OR · March 7, 2024

Date: March 7, 2024 · 11:24 local
Place: Cave Junction, OR
Airport: Illinois Valley Airport
Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N4443G
NTSB investigation: NTSBWPR24FA104
Reported as: Kolb Firestar KXP
Reported engine: ROTAX 447
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 1
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours: 2,025 total

N4443GRegistered now · Kolb FIRESTAR KXPS/N 342 · Built 1995 Airframe modelKolb FIRESTAR KXP Engine modelRotax 4472 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.

Based on eye witness accounts, pilot did not perform a walkaround as he normally did prior to take off. Following take off, during climb out, the eye witness reported the aircraft made a left hand turn and nose dived to the ground. The aircraft impacted flat terrain at approximately a 70 degree angle. Pilot was found deceased at the accident site.

As the FAA filed it

BASED ON EYE WITNESS ACCOUNTS, PILOT DID NOT PERFORM A WALKAROUND AS HE NORMALLY DID PRIOR TO TAKE OFF. FOLLOWING TAKE OFF, DURING CLIMB OUT, THE EYE WITNESS REPORTED THE AIRCRAFT MADE A LEFT HAND TURN AND NOSE DIVED TO THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED FLAT TERRAIN AT APPROXIMATELY A 70 DEGREE ANGLE. PILOT WAS FOUND DECEASED AT THE ACCIDENT SITE.

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 WPR24FA104Accident · 1 fatalClass 3 · FieldFinal reportCave Junction, ORThe pilot's exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack during a turn, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's use of potentially impairing substances with bipolar disorder, which resulted in a decreased…Mar 7, 2024 · Substantial damage