- Date
- February 8, 2019, 11:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Page, AZ
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N995BWDenney Kitfox IV Speedster
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 26, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20190208023669A
- Case key
- 98966
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 lateral control during the landing flare, which resulted in the left wing striking a tree.
Findings · 3
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 reported that, while en route, he observed that his passenger was becoming ill, and he reached for the "sick bags," but he was unable to reach them due to his seat belt. He decided to make a precautionary landing on a dirt road. The pilot added that, during the landing flare, a wind gust "pushed the right wing up," the airplane drifted left, and the left wing struck a tree. The airplane rotated counterclockwise and impacted the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and right wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that the wind was from an unknown direction at 8 to 14 knots, gusting to 14 to 16 knots. An automated weather observation station located about 12 miles from the accident site reported that, about 7 minutes before the accident, the wind was variable at 3 knots. The pilot was landing the airplane to the south.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that, while en route, he observed that his passenger was becoming ill and he reached for the "sick bags", but he was unable to reach them due to his seat belt. He decided to make a precautionary landing on a dirt road. During the landing flare, a wind gust "pushed the right wing up", the airplane drifted left, and the left wing struck a tree. The airplane rotated counterclockwise and impacted the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and right wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that the wind was from an unknown direction at 8 to 14 knots, gusting to 14 to 16 knots. The automated weather observation station located about 12 miles from the accident site reported that, about 7 minutes before the accident, the wind was variable at 3 knots. The pilot was landing to the south.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N995BW
- Reported as
- Denney Kitfox IV Speedster
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- JBS-070
- Built
- 2003
- Airframe hours
- 475.8
- Engine
- Rotax 912UL, 80 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 16, 2018
- Departed
- U96 · Halls Crossing, UT
- Destination
- BXK · Buckeye, AZ
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Electronic multifunction display, Onboard weather
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
- 60
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Sport pilot
- Last flight review
- July 4, 2018
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 506.2 total · 286.1 in this make and model · 506.2 as pilot in command · 46.4 in the last 90 days · 16.6 in the last 30 days · 2.5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 32 °F, dew point 16 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.21 inHg
- Observed at
- KPGA, 12 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 20, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.1 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.