- Date
- September 14, 2002, 17:30 local (Sep 15, 2002, 01:30 UTC)
- Place
- Fairbanks, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N996DGGardner Kitfox
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 30, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FAA-AL-FAI FSDO 01
- FAA report
- 20020914024669A
- Case key
- 55709
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
A partial loss of engine power due to an engine bearing failure during the takeoff initial climb. A factor in the accident was unsuitable terrain for a forced landing.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The private certificated pilot was departing a remote runway in an experimental homebuilt airplane. The airplane climbed to about 125 feet above the ground when the engine suddenly lost partial power. The pilot selected a forced landing area ahead of the airplane. During the forced landing, the airplane collided with several trees, and received damage to the wings and empennage. The pilot reported that a postaccident inspection of the engine revealed damage to one of the engine's main crankshaft bearings. The bearing appeared to have rotated in its bearing seat.
Factual narrative
On September 14, 2002, about 1730 Alaska daylight time, a tundra tire-equipped, experimental homebuilt Gardner Kitfox airplane, N996DG, sustained substantial damage when it collided with trees during a forced landing after takeoff. The flight was departing the Gold King Airport, about 37 miles south-southeast of Fairbanks, Alaska, and was enroute to Fairbanks. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) cross-country personal flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. The airplane was operated by the pilot. The private certificated pilot, and the sole passenger, were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed.
During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC), on September 18, the pilot reported that he was departing the gravel surfaced runway, and had climbed to about 125 feet above the ground when the engine suddenly lost power. The engine, a Rotax 582, did not completely quit, but lost significant power. The pilot selected a forced landing area ahead of the airplane. During the forced landing, the airplane collided with several trees. The airplane received damage to the wings and empennage.
During a telephone conversation with the NTSB IIC, on April 1, 2003, the pilot reported that a postaccident inspection of the engine revealed damage to one of the engine's main crankshaft bearings. The bearing appeared to have rotated in its bearing seat.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N996DG
- Reported as
- Gardner Kitfox
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 996
- Airframe hours
- 256
- Engine
- Rotax 582, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- David W. Gardner
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · September 15, 2001 · 12 hours before
- Departed
- Fairbanks, AK
- Destination
- North Pole, AK
- Airport
- Gold King, runway 09, 2,500 × 50 ft, gravel
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 49
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Expired
- Last flight review
- September 3, 2001
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 498 total · 256 in this make and model · 422 as pilot in command · 15 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 73° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.19 inHg
- Observed at
- PAFA, 37 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.