# NTSB NYC03LA210: Simoneau Kitfox Classic IV, N10224, Limington, ME, September 14, 2003 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: September 14, 2003, 10:30 local (14:30 UTC) - Place: Limington, ME - Coordinates: 43.762779, -70.672225 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=43.7628&lon=-70.6722&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report March 2, 2004 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 58218 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=NYC03LA210 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/58218/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC03LA210 ## Probable cause The pilot's improper flare, which resulted in a hard landing. A factor in this accident was the pilot's lack of experience in make and model. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Hard landing, landing - flare/touchdown - flare - improper, pilot in command (cause) - lack of experience, pilot in command (contributing factor) - landing gear,main gear - collapsed - On ground/water collision with object, landing - object - tree(s) ## Analysis The homebuilt tail-wheeled airplane was landing on a 2,973-foot-long, 50-foot-wide, asphalt runway. The pilot reported that during the flare, the airplane's nose pitched up and he continued to a 3-point landing. The tail-wheel and main landing gear came down "rather hard," and the right main landing gear failed. The airplane departed the right side of the runway and struck trees. The accident flight was the airplane's first flight after being assembled. Examination of the airplane did not revealed any pre-impact mechanical malfunctions. The pilot reported about 140 hours of total flight experience, which included 1.7 hours in make and model. ## Factual narrative On September 14, 2003, about 1030 eastern daylight time, a homebuilt Kitfox Classic IV, N10224, was substantially damaged during a hard landing at the Limington-Harmon Airport, Limington, Maine. The certificated private pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed for the local flight. The personal flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. The airplane was on approach to Runway 11, a 2,973-foot-long, 50-foot-wide, asphalt runway. In a written statement, the pilot said that the approach was normal. During the flare, the airplane's nose pitched up and he continued to a 3-point landing. The tail-wheel and main landing gear came down "rather hard," and the right main landing gear failed. The airplane departed the right side of the runway and struck trees. The accident flight was the airplane's first flight after being assembled. Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector did not revealed any pre-impact mechanical malfunctions. The pilot reported about 140 hours of total flight experience, which included 1.7 hours in make and model. Winds reported at an airport located about 20 miles east-southeast of the accident site, at 1051, were variable at 3 knots. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N10224](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N10224-2018-01-03), registration cancelled 2018-01-03, S/N C0010-0263, built 2003 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Simoneau Kitfox Classic IV - Registry model: [Simoneau Roy T KITFOX CLASSIC IV](https://openairdocs.org/model/simoneau-roy-t-kitfox-classic-iv) (registry code 05614Q8) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Rotax SEE BOMBADIER](https://openairdocs.org/engine/rotax-see-bombadier) (registry code 55555, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane, amateur-built - Serial number: C0010-0263 - Airframe hours: 4 - Engines: Rotax 912ULS 100 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Roy T. SimoneaU - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special) - Last inspection: Condition, August 26, 2003, 4 hours before - Departed: 63B, Limington, ME - Destination: 63B - Airport: 63B, Limington-Harmon, runway 11, 2,973 × 50 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 61; injuries: none; student; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 3, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; last flight review October 2, 2002; seat: left; flight hours: 137 total, 2 in this make and model, 137 as pilot in command ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: variable at 3 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 3,000 ft broken - Temperature: 72 °F, dew point 63 °F - Altimeter: 30.34 inHg - Observed at: PWM, 20 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20030914029129A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20030914029129A), Sep 14, 2003: Amtr KITFOXCLASIV, Limington, ME, Substantial damage. (-23) Pilot Mr. Roy simoneau was performing the first of the required aircraft phase 1 flight test of his experimental amateur-built sky star kit fox classic… From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.