Kitfox CLASSIC 4 N47KC

Summary

On 13 October 2020 at about 17:40 local time, a Kitfox CLASSIC 4 registered N47KC was involved in an accident near New Carlisle, Ohio, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 had minor injuries. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

13 October 2020 at 17:40

Classification

Accident

Location

New Carlisle, Ohio, United States

Nearest airport

Andy Barnhart Memorial Airport (3OH0)

Coordinates

39.9309, -84.0135

Aircraft

Kitfox CLASSIC 4

Registration

N47KC

Category

Airplane

Year built

2006

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

CEN21LA016

2 people had minor injuries.

The pilot’s failure to maintain pitch control of the airplane during landing, which caused the airplane to nose over during landing roll. Contributing to the accident was the main landing gear modification which increased the airplane’s tendency to nose over during ground operations.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot and his pilot-rated-passenger were conducting a local flight in the tailwheel-equipped experimental airplane. The accident occurred during the first landing after the original main landing gear, equipped with bungie-cord shock absorber, had been replaced with a main landing gear equipped with a steel-spring shock absorber. The pilot reported that after a normal touchdown on the main landing gear he pushed the control stick slightly forward to keep the airplane from ballooning, but the airplane nosed over during the landing roll. A witness reported seeing the airplane’s tail continue to rise during the landing roll until the airplane nosed over on the runway. A postaccident fire destroyed the airplane’s cabin and the inboard halves of both wings. A postaccident review of the airplane’s weight-and-balance record indicated that the owner/builder had correctly recalculated the center-of-gravity (CG) position after the main landing gear replacement, and although the CG location had not moved appreciably, the wheel axle position had moved aft about 2.75 inches, thus increasing the airplane’s tendency to nose over during ground operations.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.