- Date
- September 10, 2010, 17:00 local (Sep 11, 2010, 01:00 UTC)
- Place
- Fairbanks, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N598ALRoberts Alan W Kitfox II
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 20, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FAA FSDO-01
- FAA report
- 20100910049449A
- Case key
- 77265
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
The pilot's failure to maintain proper aircraft control during landing and the subsequent go-around, resulting in a hard landing, and a collision with a signpost.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The private pilot was on a personal local flight, operating under Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The pilot reported that during landing, the airplane landed hard, and bounced back into the air. He said he added power to go around, but the airplane drifted left of the runway, and the right wing struck a signpost. He said the airplane spun around the post, and impacted the ground. The pilot said there were no preimpact mechanical problems with the airplane, and that the airplane sustained substantial damage to its right wing.
Factual narrative
The private pilot was on a personal local flight, operating under Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The pilot reported that during landing, the airplane landed hard, and bounced back into the air. He said he added power to go around, but the airplane drifted left of the runway, and the right wing struck a signpost. He said the airplane spun around the post, and impacted the ground. The pilot said there were no preimpact mechanical problems with the airplane, and that the airplane sustained substantial damage to its right wing.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N598AL
- Reported as
- Roberts Alan W Kitfox II
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 598
- Airframe hours
- 340
- Engine
- Bombardier ROTAX (ALL), 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Charles Whitmer
- Registered owner
- Lyle Whitmer
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · May 8, 2010
- Departed
- MTF · Fairbanks, AK
- Destination
- MTF · Fairbanks, AK
- Airport
- MTF · Metro Field, runway 06, 4,600 × 30 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
- 22
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 12, 2009
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 74 total · 6 in this make and model · 16 as pilot in command · 4 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.95 inHg
- Observed at
- FAI
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 28, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.1 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.