Harter KITFOX CLASSIC N46MH

Summary

On 29 August 2001 at about 19:15 local time, a Harter KITFOX CLASSIC registered N46MH was involved in an accident near Sedona, Arizona, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

29 August 2001 at 19:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Sedona, Arizona, United States

Coordinates

34.9402, -111.9408

Aircraft

Harter KITFOX CLASSIC

Registration

N46MH

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Sedona → Marble Canyon

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX01LA294

1 person died.

The failure of the pilot to initiate a course reversal in a timely manner after flying into a box canyon and his failure to maintain airspeed during the attempted course reversal, which resulted in a stall spin.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

A second pilot in another airplane of the same (experimental, amateur built) type flew in loose formation with the accident aircraft and witnessed the accident. The second pilot said that the pilot's airplane had a heavier engine than most of the type did, and had a "full panel" of instruments and radios and was equipped for instrument flight. The pilot told him that, with the heavier engine and instrumentation, he was "over gross" with himself, baggage, and fuel onboard. He was carrying camping gear and the density altitude at the accident site was approximately 8,000 feet. After takeoff, the pilot was flying below and in front of the second pilot at an altitude that placed him below the canyon walls. The second pilot radioed to him "you should climb," and the pilot radioed back that he was taking pictures. About 1 mile further, it appeared that the pilot started climbing. He was keeping even with gently upsloping terrain ahead and was in no danger at that point. The pilot then made a right turn into a narrow canyon that would take him across a ridgeline toward a scenic canyon. Flying behind him, it took the second pilot a moment to reach the entrance to the canyon and, when he did, he was immediately uncomfortable. Even from his higher altitude the second pilot was barely level with the ridgeline ahead. He radioed to the pilot that he should "do a 180 . . . there is room to your right." At this point he had sufficient space to his right to reverse course. The pilot radioed back words to the effect that he thought he could make it and would proceed ahead. The second pilot radioed that he was turning immediately and that the pilot had plenty of spacing and was clear of terrain. When he started his climbing left turn he last saw the accident airplane below and in front of him, hugging the left canyon wall. It appeared the pilot was setting up to make a right turn out of the canyon. He appeared to be in a climbing attitude. When the second pilot completed his 360-degree turn, he next saw the airplane in a 45-degree right bank as it entered a spin to the right at about 300 feet agl. The spin continued for 2 1/2 turns and the airplane impacted terrain below and a fire erupted. It appeared that the spin slowed and a partial recovery was made just before the impact. In the immediate area where the accident occurred the canyon was closing; there was rising terrain ahead and insufficient canyon width to turn around. The second pilot said there was no transmission (on the radio) of any mechanical problem and, as he watched the aircraft spin, it appeared that the airplane was structurally intact.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.