# NTSB CHI02LA165: Firm Kit Fox 4-1200, N598HL, Virginia, MN, June 15, 2002 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: June 15, 2002, 14:00 local (19:00 UTC) - Place: Virginia, MN - Coordinates: 47.509639, -92.49974 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=47.5096&lon=-92.4997&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report April 18, 2003 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: Federal Aviation Administration, Minneapolis FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 54975 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CHI02LA165 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/54975/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=54975 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI02LA165 ## Probable cause An in-flight collision with a bird that resulted in severed fuel lines and the subsequent in-flight fire and loss of engine power. A factor in the accident was the soft terrain condition. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - In flight collision with object, cruise - object - bird(s) (cause) - Loss of engine power, cruise - fuel system,line - cut/severed - Fire, cruise - fuel system - fire - Forced landing, emergency descent/landing - Nose over, landing - roll - terrain condition - soft (contributing factor) - Fire, other ## Analysis While in cruise flight the amateur built airplane impacted a bird which severed the fuel primer line and its supply line, resulting in an in-flight fire and loss of engine power. The pilot reported, "I made a steep, descending right turn back to the lakebed." The pilot stated that during landing the "right main entered a wet area and dug in and flipped the plane onto its back." The airplane was destroyed during a post-impact fire. The pilot reported that he found the charred remains of a bird among the engine remains. The pilot stated that the propeller spinner had impact damage and the fuel primer line and its supply line were severed. ## Factual narrative On June 15, 2002, at 1400 central daylight time, an amateur built Firm Kit Fox 4-1200, N598HL, piloted by a private pilot was destroyed by a post impact fire following a forced landing near Virginia, Minnesota. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The flight was being operated under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91 without a flight plan. The pilot reported no injuries. The flight originated at Tower Municipal Airport (12D), Tower, Minnesota, at 1350 central daylight time. According to the pilot's written statement, during cruise flight at 800 feet above ground level (agl) he experienced a strong fuel odor followed by a loss of engine power and smoke over the windshield. The pilot stated, "I made a steep, descending right turn back to the lakebed. My airspeed was high enough to pull over a patch of dead standing trees on the edge of the lakebed. At this point, I noticed my windshield on the right side was starting to melt and discolor. I did not see any flames, but the smoke in the cabin was very thick. I touched down on the main wheels at about 20 miles per hour above stall speed and coasted on the mains for about 250 feet before the right main entered a wet area and dug in and flipped the plane onto its back." The pilot reported that the right wing fuel tank was on fire as he exited the aircraft. He stated that the right wing was engulfed in flames and that the cockpit, seats, windshield, and the left wing were burning. The airplane was destroyed during the post-impact fire. The pilot reported that he found the charred remains of a bird among the engine remains. The pilot stated that the propeller spinner had impact damage and the fuel primer line and its supply line were severed. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N598HL](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N598HL-2002-10-21), registration cancelled 2002-10-21, S/N 1734, built 2000 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Firm Kit Fox 4-1200 - Registry model: [Firm Howard KIT FOX 4-1200](https://openairdocs.org/model/firm-howard-kit-fox-4-1200) (registry code 05607WU) (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: 1734 - Airframe hours: 398 - Engines: NSI EA-81 98 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Destroyed - Fire: Both - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Howard T Firm - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special) - Last inspection: Condition, May 8, 2002, 47 hours before - Departed: 12D, Tower, MN - Destination: EVM, Eveleth, MN ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 34; injuries: none; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 3, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; last flight review September 27, 2000; seat: left; flight hours: 620 total, 398 in this make and model, 620 as pilot in command, 120 in the last 90 days, 40 in the last 30 days, 2 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 350° at 10 knots, gusting 20 - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 68 °F, dew point 39 °F - Altimeter: 29.87 inHg - Observed at: EVM, 8 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 20020615014289A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20020615014289A), Jun 15, 2002: Amtr KITFOX41200, Virginia, MN, No damage. (-23) At 800' AGL in cruise smoke was noticed on the windscreen coming from the engine compartment. The engine lost power. Pilot secured engine and electrical.… ## Docket (2 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 30, 2003, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=54975. 325 KB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 290 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40446097&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Redacted.PDF - E-mail From Howard Firm To IIC (item 2, .PDF, 35 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40175556&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=E-mail%20From%20Howard%20Firm%20To%20IIC-Master.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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.