Sheets KITFOX II N487JS

Summary

On 2 June 1998 at about 23:30 local time, a Sheets KITFOX II registered N487JS was involved in an accident near Greenfield, Iowa, United States. 2 people were on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

2 June 1998 at 23:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Greenfield, Iowa, United States

Nearest airport

Greenfield Municipal (GFZ)

Coordinates

41.3008, -94.4506

Aircraft

Sheets KITFOX II

Registration

N487JS

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI98LA186

1 person had minor injuries.

the initial climb airspeed not obtained/maintained after liftoff by the pilot in command. A factor was the improper compensation for wind conditions by the pilot in command.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot stated that he was using 20-degrees of flaps for takeoff, which is not the normal takeoff configuration, because he was testing a new takeoff technique he had seen in an aviation publication. The piloted stated that the aircraft became airborne, sooner than expected, and drifted to the right of the runway centerline. While the aircraft was drifting across the runway it impacted the ground approximately 30' from the runway centerline. In a telephone conversation with the pilot, he stated that the accident could of been avoided if he had built up additional airspeed before liftoff and after liftoff kept the aircraft low in ground effect.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.