DFW07CA190

NTSB accident investigation · KitFox Series 5 · Kerrville, TX · September 1, 2007

Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal report
Date
September 1, 2007, 09:00 local (14:00 UTC)
Place
Kerrville, TX
Injuries
2 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Takeoff
Aircraft
N915WKitFox Series 5
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report December 20, 2007
Report
Approved by Office Director
FAA report
20070901823919A
Case key
66565

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 compensate for the existing wind conditions. A contributing factor was the prevailing crosswind.

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.

Loss of control - on ground/waterTakeoff - roll/run
Weather condition - crosswindFactor
Directional control - not maintainedPilot in commandCause
On ground/water encounter with terrain/waterTakeoff - roll/run

Analysis

The 1,300-hour private pilot lost directional control of the tail-wheel equipped homebuilt airplane during takeoff roll from Runway 16. The pilot reported that shortly after reaching the first 200-feet of his takeoff roll, the airplane started to veer to the left of the centerline and eventually ran-off the runway. The pilot stated the runway was elevated from the surrounding terrain and when the airplane ran off the left side of the runway, the airplane banked to the right and the right wing collided with the ground and the airplane nosed-over. The FAA inspector, who responded to the site of the accident, did not find any anomalies with the flight controls, tailwheel steering system or the brakes. A passenger seated on the right front seat of the airplane provided a copy of a short video clip confirming the sequence of events. The Runway 16 was described as a 3,000 -foot long by 50-foot wide asphalt airstrip. Weather 10 nautical miles south of the airport was reported 10 minutes prior to the accident to be winds from 110 at 9 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, with a broken layer at 7,500 feet and an overcast layer at 10,000-feet. The temperature was reported as 28-degrees Celsius, with a dew point at 17-degrees Celsius, with an altimeter of 30.13 inches of Mercury.

Factual narrative

The 1,300-hour private pilot lost directional control of the tail-wheel equipped homebuilt airplane during takeoff roll from Runway 16. The pilot reported that shortly after reaching the first 200-feet of his takeoff roll, the airplane started to veer to the left of the centerline and eventually ran-off the runway. The pilot stated the runway was elevated from the surrounding terrain and when the airplane ran off the left side of the runway, the airplane banked to the right and the right wing collided with the ground and the airplane nosed-over. The FAA inspector, who responded to the site of the accident, did not find any anomalies with the flight controls, tailwheel steering system or the brakes. A passenger seated on the right front seat of the airplane provided a copy of a short video clip confirming the sequence of events. The Runway 16 was described as a 3,000 -foot long by 50-foot wide asphalt airstrip. Weather 10 nautical miles south of the airport was reported 10 minutes prior to the accident to be winds from 110 at 9 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, with a broken layer at 7,500 feet and an overcast layer at 10,000-feet. The temperature was reported as 28-degrees Celsius, with a dew point at 17-degrees Celsius, with an altimeter of 30.13 inches of Mercury.

Aircraft

Registration
N915W
Reported as
KitFox Series 5
Category
Airplane, amateur-built
Serial number
S94090047
Airframe hours
450
Engine
Rotax 912ULS, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Operator
Michael Stanard
Registered owner
Michael Stanard
Airworthiness certificate
Special, Experimental (Special)
Last inspection
Continuous airworthiness · August 1, 2007
Departed
Kerrville, TX
Airport
60TE · Tierra Linda irport, runway 16, 3,000 × 50 ft, asphalt

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
43
Injuries
None
Certificate
Private
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land
Medical
Class 3, With waivers/limitations
Last flight review
April 1, 2006
Seat
Left
Flight hours
1,300 total · 91 in this make and model · 1,300 as pilot in command · 25 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
Calm
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
90 °F, dew point 66 °F
Altimeter
30.07 inHg
Observed at
60TE

FAA reports on this event · 1

The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.