# NTSB WPR24LA097: Mark G Ellingson Kitfox IV, N25EN, Mesa, AZ, February 14, 2024 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report - Date: February 14, 2024, 10:20 local (17:20 UTC) - Place: Mesa, AZ · airport environment - Coordinates: 33.459502, -111.73067 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.4595&lon=-111.7307&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Landing-aborted after touchdown: Loss of control on ground](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - 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 - NTSB case key (mKey): 193860 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=WPR24LA097 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/193860/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=193860 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR24LA097 ## Probable cause The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during landing. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Use of equip/info: aircraft control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot; cases with it: [Mark G Ellingson KITFOX IV, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md?model=05641JC), [All aircraft, 9,295 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md) - [Performance/control parameters: directional control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062020): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintained; cases with it: [Mark G Ellingson KITFOX IV, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062020/cases.md?model=05641JC), [All aircraft, 3,958 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062020/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Landing-aborted after touchdown: Loss of control on ground](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230) (defining event); cases with it: [Mark G Ellingson KITFOX IV, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230/sequence.md?model=05641JC), [All aircraft, 4,585 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230/sequence.md) - [Landing-aborted after touchdown: Attempted remediation/recovery](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/060); cases with it: [Mark G Ellingson KITFOX IV, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/060/sequence.md?model=05641JC), [All aircraft, 1,422 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/060/sequence.md) - [Landing-aborted after touchdown: Runway excursion](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300); cases with it: [Mark G Ellingson KITFOX IV, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300/sequence.md?model=05641JC), [All aircraft, 3,643 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300/sequence.md) ## Analysis The pilot reported that, while landing the tailwheel-equipped airplane during the first test flight, the airplane bounced several times and he advanced the throttle. The airplane subsequently veered left off the runway and both wings sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. During a follow-up examination of the wreckage by an FAA inspector, no anomalies were found. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N25EN](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N25EN), registered now, S/N 1681, built 1991 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: MARK G ELLINGSON KITFOX IV - Registry model: [Mark G Ellingson KITFOX IV](https://openairdocs.org/model/mark-g-ellingson-kitfox-iv) (registry code 05641JC) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Rotax 912ULS series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/rotax-912uls-series) (registry code 55572, 4 cycle) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane, amateur-built - Serial number: 1681 - Year built: 2024 - Airframe hours: 0.5 - Engines: Rotax 912ULS 100 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special) - Last inspection: Condition, January 30, 2024, 3.3 hours before - Airport: FFZ, Falcon Field, runway 4R, 5,100 × 100 ft, concrete - Equipment: ADS-B ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 43; injuries: none; commercial; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, unknown; seat: left; flight hours: 13,070 total, 33 in this make and model - Other flight crew; age 63; injuries: none; sport pilot; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: sport pilot; last flight review February 26, 2024; seat: right; flight hours: 75 total, 62 in this make and model ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Icing: Unknown - Turbulence: Unknown - Observed at: FFZ ## 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 20240214001489A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20240214001489A), Feb 14, 2024: Mark G Ellingson KITFOX IV, Mesa, AZ, Substantial damage. Mesa, AZ (ffz): [privacy data omitted], Kitfox IV, ffz-ffz. The aircraft ground-looped while landing runway 4R. The aircraft veered off to the left while on… ## Docket (4 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 6, 2024, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=193860. 216 MB in all. - Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 11 pages, 6.4 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=16857700&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=6120_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Photo array-courtesy of the FAA (item 2, PDF, 4 pages, 825 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=16857251&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Photo%20Array-Accident%20Site%20FAA-Rel.pdf - Video-takeoff (item 3, MOV, 126 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=16859229&FileExtension=MOV&FileName=Take%20Off-Rel.MOV - Video-landing (item 4, MOV, 82.1 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=16858910&FileExtension=MOV&FileName=Landing-Rel.MOV 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.