History of Flight
On June 27, 2012, at 1607 Pacific daylight time, a Rehn Kitfox IV, registration N645GR, collided with terrain while attempting to return to land immediately after takeoff at Pearson Field Airport, Vancouver, Washington. The commercial pilot operated the airplane under 14 CFR Part 91. The airline transport pilot (ATP) rated passenger was killed, the commercial pilot was seriously injured, and the airplane was substantially damaged. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. A witness reported hearing audible sounds indicative of an engine problem after takeoff. The airplane started a controlled turn back to the runway and crashed in a 45-degree nose-down attitude.
Personnel Information
The pilot, age 42, held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land and instrument-airplane, and a Class 2 medical certificate issued July 15, 2011. He reported 415 total flight hours. He did not recall the events leading to the accident. The pilot-rated passenger, age 61, held an ATP certificate with ratings for airplane multi-engine land, single-engine land, single-engine sea, and rotorcraft-helicopter. He also held a flight instructor certificate and an airframe and powerplant mechanic certificate. He reported 5,800 total flight hours, with 250 hours in the previous six months, and had a Class 2 medical with corrective lenses limitation.
Aircraft Information
The two-seat, high-wing, tailwheel-configured airplane, serial number 1700, was manufactured in 1996. It was powered by a Bombardier Rotax 912 80-hp engine and equipped with a three-bladed fixed-pitch propeller. The maintenance logbook showed an annual inspection completed on June 14, 2012, at a hobbs time of 475.0 hours, signed by the pilot-rated passenger. The hobbs meter at the accident site read 475.1 hours. An engine logbook entry dated November 6, 2011, stated that the engine went to low idle while on crosswind and that the carburetors were rebuilt by a Rotax serviceman.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The wreckage was located midfield. The nose was embedded in the ground with the cockpit floor pushed upward. The wings had broken from their mounts but remained in position relative to the fuselage. The tail section was intact with control surfaces attached. The FAA inspector reported the right wing contained 6 gallons of fuel, the left wing 3 gallons, and the fuel filter was clear. The left carburetor bowl was clean with fuel; the right carburetor bowl contained small pieces of orange rubber-like material and fuel. Subsequent examination confirmed flight control continuity. The elevator control linkage was crushed and distorted; the rear elevator control rod was separated due to overload. The propeller blades exhibited no chordwise scoring. The engine could not be rotated by hand; spark plugs and internal components showed normal operating signatures. The oil reservoir contained about half a quart, with an additional quart drained from the engine during disassembly.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy on the passenger listed the cause of death as multiple blunt force injuries. Toxicology tests were negative for carbon monoxide, cyanide, ethanol, or listed drugs.
Tests and Research
The NTSB examined the orange rubber-like material from the right carburetor bowl and compared it to RTV fire sleeve material used on fuel lines. The color and texture were similar, both containing small white fibers. How the material entered the carburetor bowl was not determined. An engine technical expert from Rotech Flight Safety, Inc., indicated that foreign material in the carburetor bowl could block a main jet, resulting in partial or complete loss of engine power.