- Date
- May 3, 2023, 19:00 local (May 4, 2023, 00:00 UTC)
- Place
- Gretna, NE
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N440RSKitfox IV
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Dragged wing/rotor/float/other
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20230503013199A
- Case key
- 107812
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 clearance from terrain during a turn immediately after takeoff.
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 pilot reported that, while taking off from an off-airport site, he turned too early before gaining enough altitude, and the right wing contacted the ground. The pilot lowered the left wing and the airplane’s left tire “contacted the ground sideways.” The wheel sheared off and the left wing contacted the ground which resulted in substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation
Aircraft
- Registration
- N440RS
- Reported as
- Kitfox IV
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 1440
- Built
- 1993
- Airframe hours
- 650
- Engine
- Rotax 912UL, 80 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Tc Flight LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · January 15, 2023 · 40 hours before
- Departed
- NONE · Gretna, NE
- Destination
- KAHQ · Wahoo, NE
- Airport
- NA
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
- 45
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 5, 2022
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,900 total · 100 in this make and model · 85 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.90 inHg
- Observed at
- KAHQ, 16 nm away
- METAR
- KAHQ 032155Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 24/M03 A2990 RMK AO2 T02351033
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 29, 2023, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 19.3 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.