- Date
- May 12, 1992, 14:35 local (21:35 UTC)
- Place
- Burlington, WA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N7183HRobert Griffiths Kitfox MOD II
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 13, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920512014319A
- Case key
- 41674
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 overconfidence in his ability, and his overconfidence in the ability of the aircraft. Factors include high/gusty winds, and a fence near 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 of the Kitfox ii experimental aircraft took off in winds of 15 knots, with higher gusts. After takeoff the pilot found that full deflection of the flight controls did not provide enough response to maintain control of the aircraft. The strong/gusty winds forced the aircraft off the planned departure course, where it contacted a fence, and then impacted the terrain.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7183H
- Reported as
- Robert Griffiths Kitfox MOD II (KITFOX MOD)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 531
- Airframe hours
- 6
- Engine
- Rotax 582 LC, 64 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Griffiths, Robert F.
- Registered owner
- Griffiths, Robert F.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · January 2, 2000
- Destination
- 74S · Anacortes, WA
- Airport
- 75S · Skagit Regional, runway 28, 5,475 × 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
- 67
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 400 total · 6 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 15 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.