- Date
- December 5, 2022, 10:52 local (15:52 UTC)
- Place
- Woodsfield, OH
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N257EDJames R Dernovsek Kitfox
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20221205021959A
- Case key
- 106421
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 NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings.
Analysis
The pilot reported that after touchdown, the airspeed decreased, and the tailwheel settled onto the runway. He applied brakes and recalled the airplane’s nose pulled to the left about 20 or 30 degrees. He applied right rudder and right brake to correct the direction, but the airplane exited the runway to the left, traveled up a berm and became airborne. The right wing then impacted terrain and rotated the airplane 180 degrees, before it came to rest on the main landing gear. Examination of the wreckage by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed substantial damage to the fuselage and right wing. The inspector examined the airplane’s brakes and found that both functioned normally. He also examined the tires and saw that neither exhibited flat spots and that the tire marks on the runway appeared to be from a rolling (and not skidding) right tire. Based on this information, it is likely that the pilot lost directional control of the airplane during the landing.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N257ED
- Reported as
- James R Dernovsek Kitfox (S5)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- V95030029
- Built
- 2018
- Airframe hours
- 347
- Engine
- Rotax 912is, 120 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Ferry · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · November 24, 2022 · 10 hours before
- Departed
- 9N7 · Fredrickburg, PA
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- 4G5 · Monroe County, runway 25, 3,805 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic primary flight display, ADS-B, Auto-pilot, Electronic multifunction display
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
- 71
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight engineer, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 13, 2021
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 20,000 total · 8 in this make and model · 19,500 as pilot in command · 40 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 37 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.10 inHg
- Observed at
- ZZV, 38 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KZZV 051553Z AUTO 19006KT 10SM CLR 03/M04 A3010 RMK AO2 SLP201 T00281044=
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 7, 2023, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 14.8 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.