- Date
- May 2, 2000, 10:20 local (15:20 UTC)
- Place
- Neenah, WI
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4956Grunska Kitfox IV
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 17, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20000502036979A
- Case key
- 49114
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 driectional control of the airplane while landing. A factor associated with the accident was the tree that the airplane contacted.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The airplane contacted a tree while landing to the east on a private airstrip (2,000 foot x 80 foot wide grass field). He stated he 'landed short' and added power. He stated, '...we made the runway easily, but bounced once and headed into a tree.' The pilot reported the local winds were out of the east at 12 knots. Inspection of the accident site revealed the airplane traveled off the north side of the airstrip where it contacted a tree.
Factual narrative
On May 2, 2000, at 1020 central daylight time, a Kitfox IV, N4956, collided with trees following a loss of control while landing on a private airstrip on Neenah, Wisconsin. The private pilot received a minor injury and the passenger was not injured. The airplane was substantially damaged. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions without a flight plan. The local flight originated at approximately 0930 cdt.
The pilot was landing to the east on a 2,000 foot long, 80 foot wide grass field. He stated he "landed short" and added power. He stated, "...we made the runway easily, but bounced once and headed into a tree."
The pilot reported the local winds were out of the east at 12 knots. Inspection of the accident site revealed the airplane traveled off the north side of the airstrip where it contacted a tree.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4956
- Reported as
- Grunska Kitfox IV
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 1428
- Airframe hours
- 48
- Engine
- Rotax 912, 80 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Norman C. Grunska
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · May 2, 2000 · 48 hours before
- Departed
- NONE
- Airport
- NONE · Private Airstrip, runway 9, 2,000 × 80 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
- 82
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Expired
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 200 total · 48 in this make and model · 175 as pilot in command · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- OSH, 4 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.