- Date
- June 7, 2010, 10:05 local (15:05 UTC)
- Place
- Stanton, MN
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N396BKBordelon Kitfox IV
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR pattern final: Miscellaneous/other
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 20, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration - Minneapolis FSDO
- FAA report
- 20100607036229A
- Case key
- 76231
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 inadvertent propeller blade pitch change and subsequent loss of forward thrust.
Findings · 2
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 accident occurred during the first flight since the experimental amateur-built airplane had been repaired from a previous accident. The pilot stated that after departure he performed two landings without incident. On the third landing attempt, the in-flight electrically adjustable propeller went into a low/flat pitch while the airplane was on an extended final approach. The pilot stated that the airplane lost forward thrust as result of the flat propeller blade pitch and that he landed short of the turf runway. The airplane subsequently nosed over and came to rest inverted; the fuselage and empennage were substantially damaged. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane. He stated that the flat propeller pitch may have been inadvertently set during flight when he mistakenly depressed the propeller pitch selector instead of the intended push-to-talk button. Both buttons were collocated on the control stick.
Factual narrative
The accident occurred during the first flight since the experimental amateur-built airplane had been repaired from a previous accident. The pilot stated that after departure he performed two landings without incident. On the third landing attempt, the in-flight electrically adjustable propeller went into a low/flat pitch while the airplane was on an extended final approach. The pilot stated that the airplane lost forward thrust as result of the flat propeller blade pitch and that he landed short of the turf runway. The airplane subsequently nosed-over and came to rest inverted. The fuselage and empennage were substantially damaged. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane. He stated that the flat propeller pitch may have been inadvertently set during flight when he mistakenly depressed the propeller pitch selector instead of the intended push-to-talk button. Both buttons were collocated on the control stick.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N396BK
- Reported as
- Bordelon Kitfox IV
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- C9400070
- Airframe hours
- 23
- Engine
- Subaru E-81, 105 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · May 9, 2010
- Departed
- KSYN · Stanton, MN
- Destination
- KSYN · Stanton, MN
- Airport
- KSYN · Stanton Airfield, runway 09, 1,970 × 180 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
- 58
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 107 total · 43 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 110° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.05 inHg
- Observed at
- KSYN
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 8, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 825 KB 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.
Other investigations on N396BK · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.