# NTSB CEN21LA016: Kitfox Classic 4, N47KC, New Carlisle, OH, October 13, 2020

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · Minor injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report
- Date: October 13, 2020, 13:40 local (17:40 UTC)
- Place: New Carlisle, OH · Airport, Runway 28
- Coordinates: 39.930892, -84.013546
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.9309&lon=-84.0135&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Landing-landing roll: Nose over/nose down](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/096)
- Highest injury: Minor injuries
- Injuries: 2 minor
- Status: Completed
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class: Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office: Central Region
- Parties: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Cincinnati FSDO
- NTSB case key (mKey): 102140
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN21LA016
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/102140/pdf
- NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=102140
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN21LA016

## Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to maintain pitch control of the airplane during landing, which caused the airplane to nose over during landing roll. Contributing to the accident was the main landing gear modification which increased the airplane’s tendency to nose over during ground operations.

## Findings

NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause.

- [Performance/control parameters: pitch control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062022): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintained (probable cause); cases with it: [Seymour Timothy J KITFOX CLASSIC 4, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062022/cases.md?model=05620K7), [All aircraft, 526 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062022/cases.md)
- [Use of equip/info: aircraft control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Seymour Timothy J KITFOX CLASSIC 4, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md?model=05620K7), [All aircraft, 9,295 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md)
- [Landing gear system: main landing gear](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023210): Aircraft › Aircraft systems · Design; cases with it: [Seymour Timothy J KITFOX CLASSIC 4, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023210/cases.md?model=05620K7), [All aircraft, 241 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023210/cases.md)

## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Prior to flight: Aircraft maintenance event](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/040); cases with it: [Seymour Timothy J KITFOX CLASSIC 4, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/040/sequence.md?model=05620K7), [All aircraft, 484 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/040/sequence.md)
- [Landing-landing roll: Nose over/nose down](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/096) (defining event); cases with it: [Seymour Timothy J KITFOX CLASSIC 4, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/096/sequence.md?model=05620K7), [All aircraft, 2,287 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/096/sequence.md)

## Analysis

The pilot and his pilot-rated-passenger were conducting a local flight in the tailwheel-equipped experimental airplane. The accident occurred during the first landing after the original main landing gear, equipped with bungie-cord shock absorber, had been replaced with a main landing gear equipped with a steel-spring shock absorber. The pilot reported that after a normal touchdown on the main landing gear he pushed the control stick slightly forward to keep the airplane from ballooning, but the airplane nosed over during the landing roll. A witness reported seeing the airplane’s tail continue to rise during the landing roll until the airplane nosed over on the runway. A postaccident fire destroyed the airplane’s cabin and the inboard halves of both wings. A postaccident review of the airplane’s weight-and-balance record indicated that the owner/builder had correctly recalculated the center-of-gravity (CG) position after the main landing gear replacement, and although the CG location had not moved appreciably, the wheel axle position had moved aft about 2.75 inches, thus increasing the airplane’s tendency to nose over during ground operations.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N47KC](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N47KC), registered now, S/N C04060296, built 2005 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: Kitfox Classic 4 (NO SERIES)
- Registry model: [Seymour Timothy J KITFOX CLASSIC 4](https://openairdocs.org/model/seymour-timothy-j-kitfox-classic-4) (registry code 05620K7) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Amateur-built UNKNOWN ENG](https://openairdocs.org/engine/amateur-built-unknown-eng) (registry code 99999) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number: C04060296
- Year built: 2006
- Airframe hours: 45
- Engines: Rotec R2800 100 horsepower reciprocating
- Damage: Destroyed
- Fire: On-Ground
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection: Condition, October 16, 2019, 4 hours before
- Airport: 3OH0, Andy Barnhart Memorial Airport, runway 28, 2,000 × 150 ft, grass/turf
- Equipment: Unknown

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 73; injuries: minor; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; seat: left; restraint: 3-point; flight hours: 1,066 total, 45 in this make and model, 824 as pilot in command
- Pilot-rated passenger; age 72; injuries: minor; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: basicmed; last flight review July 13, 2018; seat: right; restraint: 3-point; flight hours: 365 total, 325 as pilot in command

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: 240° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Temperature: 64 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter: 30.13 inHg
- Observed at: FFO, 6.5 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 (OpenAirDocs).

- [Accident 20201013019529A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20201013019529A), Oct 13, 2020: Seymour Timothy J KITFOX CLASSIC 4, New Carlisle, OH, Destroyed. On October 13, 2020, at approximately 1:47 p.m. eastern daylight time (1747 zulu), kit fox, N47KC flipped over on its back during the landing rollout on runway…

## Docket (5 files)

The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 27, 2021, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=102140. 2.5 MB in all.

- Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 11 pages, 1.2 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=11816052&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=01%20-%20Pilot%20Report_Redacted-Rel.pdf
- Witness statement (item 2, PDF, 2 pages, 115 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=11816649&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=02%20-%20Witness%20Statement_Redacted-Rel.pdf
- Memorandum of conversation (FAA inspector andrew porter) (item 3, PDF, 1 page, 77 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=11815956&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=03%20-%20Memorandum%20of%20Conversation%20(Andrew%20Porter)-Rel.pdf
- Weather data (item 4, PDF, 1 page, 105 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=11816357&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=04%20-%20Weather-Rel.pdf
- Photos (item 5, PDF, 2 pages, 2 photos, 1.0 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=11816062&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=05%20-%20Photos-Rel.pdf

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

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