Flagg KITFOX IV N674F

Summary

On 28 April 2007 at about 23:00 local time, a Flagg KITFOX IV registered N674F was involved in an accident near Centerville, Texas, United States. One person was 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

28 April 2007 at 23:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Centerville, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Dillard Ranch Airport (TE01)

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Flagg KITFOX IV

Registration

N674F

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Centerville → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DFW07CA098

Nobody was injured.

The loss of engine power due to the failure of the air induction ducting. A contributing factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The 80-horsepower engine on the single-engine experimental airplane lost power during the initial takeoff climb from runway 06. The 133-hour private pilot added that the engine began sputtering and running rough during the initial climb. The pilot added that he tried to pull the choke and alter the throttle settings in an attempt to regain engine power, to no avail. The pilot initiated a forced landing to a nearby clearing; however, the pilot did not have sufficient altitude and the airplane landed in trees. The airplane came to rest suspended in trees in a near vertical nose low attitude. The pilot was able to exit the airplane without injuries. Post-accident inspection of the engine revealed that the carburetor rubber flange coupler had failed, which resulted in the reported loss of engine power. The pilot added that the coupler (part number 267788) needs to have Kevlar material added in the injection mold process to prevent similar mishaps. The airplane sustained structural damage to both wings. The longeron and horizontal stabilizer were both bent. The airplane and engine were reported to have accumulated a total of 275-hours since new. The weather at the nearest weather reporting station located approximately 29 miles to the north north-east of the accident site reported calm winds, clear skies, and 20-statute mile visibility.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.