Birtch KITFOX II N481DB

Summary

On 11 March 2005 at about 21:00 local time, a Birtch KITFOX II registered N481DB, operated by Nels T. Hult, was involved in an accident near Dillard, Oregon, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

11 March 2005 at 21:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Dillard, Oregon, United States

Coordinates

43.0981, -123.4289

Aircraft

Birtch KITFOX II

Registration

N481DB

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Nels T. Hult

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Dillard → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA05CA060

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from obstacles while in cruise flight at low altitude, which resulted in an inflight collision with a power line. A factor was the pilot's decision to fly at low altitude.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that he was cruising upstream on a river when the airplane "struck the upper power lines (about 80 feet above water) with prop and left gear leg." The aircraft assumed a nose down attitude and then "released itself from the wires." The pilot attempted to recover, but the airplane "pancaked into the river" where it came to rest upright in "knee deep" water. The left wing sustained structural damage, and the right lift strut was bent.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.