- Date
- April 26, 2006, 09:26 local (16:26 UTC)
- Place
- Lewiston, ID
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N91JEEly Kitfox III
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 3, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20060426005189A
- Case key
- 63589
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
Failure to maintain aircraft control during the landing roll from an aborted takeoff. Excessive use of the rudder to control the airplane, the subsequent inadvertent ground loop, and the inadequate supervision by the flight instructor were factors.
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 private pilot receiving instruction said that during the takeoff roll the airplane was "unable to achieve takeoff." The power was cut to abort the takeoff and the airplane appeared to angle toward a taxi way marker. "I over corrected to the left and caused the aircraft to ground loop." The flight instructor said that the cockpit was "pretty tight" for him, and he had some trouble manipulating the rudder pedals in size 13 shoes. He further stated that when the pilot receiving instruction made a rudder pedal input, the airplane ground-looped before he could do anything.
Factual narrative
On April 26, 2006, at 0926 Pacific daylight time, an Ely Kitfox III, N91JE, was substantially damaged when the airplane ground-looped during a takeoff attempt at Lewiston-Nez Perce County Airport (LWS), Lewiston, Idaho. The flight instructor and private pilot receiving instruction were not injured. The private pilot/owner was operating the airplane under Title 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local instructional flight which was originating at the time of the accident. A flight plan had not been filed.
The private pilot receiving instruction said that during the takeoff roll the airplane was "unable to achieve takeoff." The power was cut to abort the takeoff and the airplane appeared to angle toward a taxi way marker. "I over corrected to the left and caused the aircraft to ground loop." The flight instructor said that the cockpit was "pretty tight" for him, and he had some trouble manipulating the rudder peddles in size 13 shoes. He further stated that when the pilot receiving instruction made a rudder peddle input, the airplane ground-looped before he could do anything.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N91JE
- Reported as
- Ely Kitfox III
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 1014
- Airframe hours
- 502
- Engine
- Rotax 582, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Franklin R. Miles
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · June 1, 2005 · 23 hours before
- Departed
- LWS · Lewiston, ID
- Destination
- LWS · Lewiston, ID
- Airport
- LWS · Lewiston-Nez Perce County Arpt, runway 11, 5,002 × 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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 71
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 1, 2004
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 746 total · 2 in this make and model · 674 as pilot in command · 12 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 72
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 1, 2005
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 13,000 total · 90 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 30° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 52 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.04 inHg
- Observed at
- LWS
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.