- Date
- April 16, 2013, 13:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Blaine, MN
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N389HWWing Harold Kitfox II
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Tailstrike
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 13, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA Flight Standards District Office
- FAA report
- 20130416004539A
- Case key
- 86662
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 improper touchdown and subsequent failure to maintain control of the airplane during the landing roll. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s lack of experience in tailwheel-equipped airplanes.
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
On the pilot's first landing in the accident airplane, the airplane’s tailwheel touched down first, and then the airplane bounced on the main landing gear and rotated to the right. The pilot applied left rudder and added power in an attempt to go-around; however, the airplane’s right main gear and wing tip struck the ground, and the airplane nosed down, shearing off the propeller before coming to rest on the nose. The pilot said there was nothing mechanically wrong with the airplane. He reported only 3.4 hours of previous experience in tailwheel-equipped airplanes. Postaccident examination revealed substantial damage to the right wing spar.
Factual narrative
On the pilot's first landing, the tail wheel touched down first and the airplane bounced on the main gear, then rotated to the right. The pilot applied left rudder and added power in an attempt to go-around. The right main gear and right wing tip struck the ground, and the airplane nosed down, shearing off the propeller before coming to rest on the nose. The pilot said there was nothing mechanically wrong with the airplane. Postaccident examination revealed the right wing spar, outboard of the lift strut, and the ribs were broken.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N389HW
- Reported as
- Wing Harold Kitfox II
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 389
- Airframe hours
- 220
- Engine
- Rotax UL 582MOD99, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Dennis E. Fitch
- Registered owner
- Dennis E. Fitch
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · December 1, 2012 · 1 hours before
- Departed
- KANE · Blaine, MN
- Destination
- KANE · Blaine, MN
- Airport
- KANE · Anoka County-Janes Field, runway 27, 5,000 × 100 ft, asphalt
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
- 42
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 30, 2012
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 4,460 total · 0 in this make and model · 4,267 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Observed at
- KANE
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 30, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 453 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 N389HW · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.