Combs Earl W KITFOX SPEEDSTER N89MM

Summary

On 1 May 2011 at about 18:15 local time, a Combs Earl W KITFOX SPEEDSTER registered N89MM, operated by Woodsum Richard P, was involved in an accident near Elephant Butte, New Mexico, 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

1 May 2011 at 18:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Elephant Butte, New Mexico, United States

Nearest airport

Truth or Consequences Muni (TCS)

Coordinates

33.2339, -107.2439

Aircraft

Combs Earl W KITFOX SPEEDSTER

Registration

N89MM

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Woodsum Richard P

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Truth or Conseq → Truth or Conseq

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN11FA312

1 person died.

The pilot's loss of control of the airplane for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination of the airplane did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane was on a local flight from a nearby airport. Two witnesses, who were driving north on an interstate highway, said the airplane was flying south about 1,000 feet above the ground when it pitched upward, rolled to the right, and then spiraled toward the ground. The witnesses said that they did not see any fire or smoke before they lost sight of the airplane. However, they subsequently saw a plume of smoke rising from behind a hill. A postaccident examination of the airplane wreckage showed that the airplane impacted the terrain in a right bank, slightly nose low attitude, then spun around to the left. A postimpact fire consumed most of the airplane structure. An examination of the wreckage did not reveal any preimpact anomalies that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane. A rod end for a push-pull tube between the flap handle and the flaperon mixer unit was found failed in overload at the outer two threads. Although this finding indicates potential problems with the construction and/or maintenance of the airplane, there is no indication that it contributed to the accident. Forensic toxicology testing of the pilot’s liver and kidney detected Diphenhyramine; however, the level of Diphenhydramine was not substantive enough to be determined and its presence most likely did not induce impairment.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.