- Date
- September 20, 2024, 19:30 local (Sep 21, 2024, 00:30 UTC)
- Place
- Cleburne, TX
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N16KRKitfox IV 1200 Spdst
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Aerodynamic stall/spin
- 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
- 20240920020849A
- Case key
- 195161
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 aircraft control, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and impact with terrain.
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
The pilot reported that as he initiated the round out for landing, the airspeed rapidly decreased. He executed a go-around by increasing power and pitching the airplane to climb out. After about two seconds the right wing dipped, and the airplane stalled. The airplane impacted terrain which resulted substantial damage to the left wing and fuselage. The airplane came to rest upright on a fence. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operations.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N16KR
- Reported as
- Kitfox IV 1200 Spdst
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- LBS084
- Built
- 1994
- Engine
- Rotax 912, 80 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- TX67 · Cleburne, TX
- Destination
- TX67 · Cleburne, TX
- Airport
- TX67 · Hodges Air Field, runway 16, 1,750 × 50 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- ADS-B
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
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 8, 2024
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 12,200 total · 90 in this make and model · 8,700 as pilot in command · 39 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 160° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 93 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.84 inHg
- Observed at
- KFWS, 12 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KFWS 202349Z 16007KT 10SM CLR 34/18 A2984=
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 10, 2025, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.6 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.
Other investigations on N16KR · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.