Kitfox 7 N789RB

Summary

On 31 March 2022 at about 14:38 local time, a Kitfox 7 registered N789RB was involved in an accident near Crowell, Texas, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

31 March 2022 at 14:38

Classification

Accident

Location

Crowell, Texas, United States

Coordinates

33.9999, -99.7570

Aircraft

Kitfox 7

Registration

N789RB

Category

Airplane

Year built

2020

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN22LA163

2 people died.

The pilot's exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack during low-level flight, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and loss of control at an altitude too low to recover.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot of the experimental, amateur-built airplane was performing a slow speed low pass over an unpaved airstrip when he initiated a climb to the left. A witness reported that, when the airplane was about 650 ft above the ground, it “stalled,” the left wing dropped, and the nose went straight down. He additionally reported that the engine was running throughout the flight. The airplane was consumed by a postcrash fire; however, examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Autopsy of the pilot revealed significant coronary artery disease and a variety of medications that cause significant depression of the central nervous system, including four sedating antihistamines. Some of these medications were found only at very low levels, but the only specimens available were in cavity blood, which may not represent levels in antemortem intravascular blood or be directly related to effects. The reason for the pilot’s concomitant use of antihistamines was unknown, as are the potential effects of using them in combination, including any hangover or withdrawal effects. Therefore, whether effects from the pilot’s use of multiple sedating medications contributed to the circumstances of this accident could not be determined. Based on the available evidence, it is likely that the pilot exceeded the airplane’s critical angle of attack during low-level flight, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and loss of control at an altitude too low to allow for recovery.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.