- Date
- July 24, 1992, 16:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- Shelburne, VT
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N376GCGeorge A Chaffee Kitfox II
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 30, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920724027309A
- Case key
- 11831
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 adequate airspeed which resulted in a stall. Contributing was the pilot's diverted attention to an open door, and an inadequate preflight inspection.
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
This was the pilot's first flight since he built the airplane. According to the pilot, he was going to stay in the traffic pattern to practice touch and go landings; however, during the initial climb the left door ' popped open,' and the pilot became distracted momentarily. He stated that the flight had climbed to about 75 to 100 feet, and he reduced the power to try to land on the remaining runway, but the airplane veered to the left of the runway in the path of trees. He stated that he tried to avoid the tree tops by pulling back on the yoke, but the airplane stalled and came to rest between two trees. The pilot stated that there was no mechanical malfunction, and the accident could have been prevented if he had installed a positive latching mechanism on the door.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N376GC
- Reported as
- George A Chaffee Kitfox II
- Category
- Ultralight, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 376
- Engine
- Rotax 582LC, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Chaffee, George
- Registered owner
- George A Chaffee
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Unknown · January 2, 2000 · 0 hours before
- Airport
- K9B3 · Shelburne Airpark, runway 19, 2,500 × 90 ft, grass/turf
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
- 54
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 96 total · 28 as pilot in command · 9 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 45 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BTV, 1 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.