- Date
- May 3, 1995, 07:35 local (14:35 UTC)
- Place
- Phoenix, AZ
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N4357QGodkey Kitfox IV
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 30, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950503011159A
- Case key
- 29086
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 failure of the ignition system due to a deffective diode.
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.
Analysis
The aircraft was in the takeoff initial climb when the pilot declared an emergency. The aircraft completed a turn back toward the runway, landed short of the airport boundary, and struck the perimeter fence. The pilot reported that he had just taken off when he noticed that the engine was not developing full power. Just then, the engine quit. He attempted to turn back toward the runway but did not have sufficient altitude to reach the runway. A postaccident inspection revealed that the ignition system was inoperative due to a defective diode.
Factual narrative
On May 3, 1995, at 0735 mountain standard time, a homebuilt Godkey Kitfox IV, N4357Q, sustained substantial damage during a forced landing at Phoenix, Arizona. The aircraft was owned and operated by the student pilot and was on a local instructional flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. Neither the certificated flight instructor nor the student were injured. The flight originated from the Phoenix-Deer Valley Municipal Airport at 0730 on the day of the accident.
The tower operator had just cleared the aircraft for takeoff from runway 25L when she heard the pilot declare an emergency. Looking in the direction of departure, she saw the aircraft complete a 180-degree turn back toward the runway. As she continued watching, the aircraft landed short of the airport boundary and struck the perimeter fence.
The instructor reported that the aircraft had just taken off on runway 25L when the student, who was on the controls, informed him that the engine tachometer was not indicating full power. Just as he made the statement, the engine quit. He attempted a left 180-degree turn back toward the departure runway but did not have sufficient altitude to reach the runway and was forced to land short.
A postaccident inspection by an Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airworthiness inspector revealed that the ignition system was inoperative due to a defective diode. Spark plugs were inspected for serviceability and wiring was checked for continuity.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4357Q
- Reported as
- Godkey Kitfox IV
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 1524
- Airframe hours
- 193
- Engine
- Rotax 582LC, 64 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Donald R. O'Connor
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 18, 1994 · 147 hours before
- Departed
- DVT
- Airport
- DVT · Phoenix-Deer Valley Munic, runway 25L, 8,200 × 100 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
- 74
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 15,000 total · 110 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- DVT, 1 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.