- Date
- July 29, 2015, 09:57 local (15:57 UTC)
- Place
- Jackpot, NV
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N991RKExperimental Amat Built Kitfox III
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 30, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- Reno FSDO (FAA)
- Case key
- 91699
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 directional control during the landing roll, which resulted in a runway excursion and a collision with terrain.
Findings · 2
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 of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that his wheel landing was "smooth and straight," but when the tailwheel touched down the airplane drifted to the right. As the landing roll progressed, the airplane veered sharply to the right. He stated that he attempted to correct with rudder input, but the airplane veered off the runway to the right, ground looped, and the left wing impacted terrain. The left wing sustained substantial damage. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that his wheel landing was "smooth and straight," but when the tailwheel touched down the airplane drifted to the right. As the landing roll progressed, the airplane veered sharply to the right. He stated that he attempted to correct with rudder input, but the airplane veered off the runway to the right, ground looped, and the left wing impacted terrain. The left wing sustained substantial damage. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N991RK
- Reported as
- Experimental Amat Built Kitfox III (III)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 1058
- Built
- 1992
- Airframe hours
- 761.5
- Engine
- Rotax 912, 80 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · December 4, 2014
- Departed
- TWF · Twin Falls, ID
- Destination
- 06U · Jackpot, NV
- Airport
- 06U · Jackpot/Hayden Field, runway 33, 6,183 × 60 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS
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
- 41
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 29, 2015
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 107 total · 21.1 in this make and model · 45 as pilot in command · 24.1 in the last 90 days · 11.1 in the last 30 days · 3.5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 40° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.29 inHg
- Observed at
- KTWF, 31 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 11, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 456 KB in all.