- Date
- January 25, 2020, 08:50 local (15:50 UTC)
- Place
- Goodyear, AZ
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N399AMerwin Kitfox
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20200125002319A
- Case key
- 100864
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 NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
The tail wheel mechanism detachment for reasons that could not be determined due to the lack of available evidence which resulted in the loss of directional control on landing.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings.
Analysis
The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, he was on a familiarization/test flight with the pilot/owner. They had conducted 7 successful landings and while on final approach for the 8th landing, he entered a forward slip to steepen the descent angle without increasing airspeed, and pitched for landing. As the airplane touched down, there was no drift or yaw; however, during the landing rollout the rudder pedals "jerked," and the nose began to veer rapidly to the left. He applied right rudder pedal, but the airplane continued to yaw to the left and subsequently ground looped. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the rudder The pilot reported that the tailwheel chains and steering springs were intact, but the chains were not attached to the springs, and one of the tailwheel steering chains may have disconnected while maneuvering to land. The nut retaining the tailwheel spring was not located and the spring hole appeared to be undamaged.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N399A
- Reported as
- Merwin Kitfox (S7 Super S)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- KA12273245
- Built
- 2019
- Airframe hours
- 6
- Engine
- Rotax 912ULS, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental light sport (Special)
- Departed
- GYR · Goodyear, AZ
- Destination
- GYR · Goodyear, AZ
- Airport
- GYR · Phoenix Goodyear, runway 21, 8,500 × 150 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Satellite tracking device, ADS-B
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
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 22, 2018
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 14,000 total · 5 in this make and model · 15 in the last 90 days
- Role
- Pilot-rated passenger
- Age
- 76
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- BasicMed
- Last flight review
- January 25, 2020
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 302 total · 6 in this make and model · 302 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.09 inHg
- Observed at
- KGYR, 1 nm away
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 9, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 23.6 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.