- Date
- August 15, 2004, 19:00 local (Aug 16, 2004, 02:00 UTC)
- Place
- Sandpoint, ID
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N90TYBeyers Kitfox IV
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 28, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- Case key
- 59911
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 aircraft control during the landing roll. Contributing factors were the rough grass runway, and the trees on the left side of the runway.
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 pilot said that he was landing the airplane on a grass airstrip when his left wheel impacted a hole, and the airplane deviated to the left. He applied full right rudder, but did not regain control of the airplane before it impacted trees. The right wing's leading edge spar was bent, the left main landing gear was folded back, the horizontal stabilizer was bent, and the empennage was wrinkled. The Sheriff reported that the pilot told him that he landed the airplane "too hard," and he lost control as it landed on the grassy runway. The Sheriff said that "the runway was safe from any hazards, and cleared of any debris." The owner of the runway did put some dirt in a hole the day after the accident. The Federal Aviation Administration inspector that examined the runway said that it appeared to be a "good grass airstrip."
Factual narrative
On August 15, 2004, at approximately 1900 Pacific daylight time, a Beyers Kitfox IV, N90TY, was substantially damaged when it departed the runway and impacted trees during landing rollout at Olmstead Sky Ranch Airport (ID25) near Sandpoint, Idaho. The private pilot, the sole occupant of the aircraft, was not injured. The pilot/owner was operating the airplane under Title 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local personal flight, which originated approximately 15 minutes before the accident. The pilot had not filed a flight plan.
The pilot said that he was landing the airplane on a grass airstrip (runway 16) when his left wheel impacted a hole, and the airplane deviated to the left. The pilot said that he applied full right rudder, but did not regain control of the airplane before it impacted trees. The right wing's leading edge spar was bent, the left main landing gear was folded back, the horizontal stabilizer was bent, and the empennage was wrinkled.
The Bonner County Sheriff reported that the pilot told him that he landed the airplane "too hard," and he lost control as it landed on the grassy runway. The Sheriff said that "the runway was safe from any hazards, and cleared of any debris." The owner of the runway did put some dirt in a hole the day after the accident. The Federal Aviation Administration inspector that examined the runway said that it appeared to be a "good grass airstrip."
The pilot said that he passed his private pilot check ride in June 2004; his private pilot license with assigned number was pending.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N90TY
- Reported as
- Beyers Kitfox IV
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 1822
- Airframe hours
- 550
- Engine
- Rotax 912ULS, 80 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Stephen M. Allbee Sr.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 15, 2003 · 152 hours before
- Departed
- ID25 · Sandpoint, ID
- Destination
- ID25 · Sandpoint, ID
- Airport
- ID25 · Olmstead Sky Ranch Airport, runway 16, 3,000 × 50 ft, grass/turf
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
- 46
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 15, 2004
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 200 total · 130 in this make and model · 130 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 0° at 0 knots
- Visibility
- 9 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 97 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.87 inHg
- Observed at
- SZT, 4 nm away
Other investigations on N90TY · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.