History of Flight
On June 3, 2018, about 1815 Pacific daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Kitfox Model 1 light sport airplane, registration N375KF, sustained substantial damage when it impacted trees and terrain near Blue Skies Airport (OR87) in Salem, Oregon. The student pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was registered to the student, who was operating it as a personal flight under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The airplane was last seen about 1800 during taxi operations.
A witness reported seeing the student at OR87 on June 1 with the accident airplane. The student had recently installed new suspension and performed one to two taxi tests before loading the aircraft onto a trailer to adjust strut pressure. The student returned two days later and conducted numerous taxi tests. Hours later, the witness noticed the student's vehicle and trailer still at the airport but the airplane was missing.
A friend of the student became concerned when he had not heard from the student the next day and found the vehicle still at the airport. Knowing the student was not certificated or authorized to fly the accident airplane solo, the friend conducted an aerial search and located the wreckage about 100 yards west of the OR87 runway, partially submerged in a small creek.
Personnel Information
The student held a student pilot certificate. His most recent FAA third-class medical certificate was issued on March 22, 2018, with no limitations, at which time he reported 4 total hours of flight experience. His flight instructor estimated the student had accumulated about 35 total hours, almost all in a Piper Cherokee 140, and did not believe the student had previously flown a Kitfox or had endorsements for tailwheel or solo flight in that airplane.
Aircraft Information
The two-seat, amateur-built, high-wing, tailwheel-equipped airplane was manufactured in 2011 and powered by an HKS 700E series engine. No maintenance records were located during the investigation.
Meteorological Information
The closest weather reporting facility was Salem Airport, about 5 miles southwest of the accident site. At 1756, a METAR reported wind from 280° at 5 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, few clouds at 5,000 feet, scattered at 7,000 feet, broken at 10,000 feet, temperature 64°F, dew point 46°F, and an altimeter setting of 30.02 inches of mercury.
Wreckage and Impact Information
Broken limbs about 30 feet below the top of a 100-foot-tall tree indicated the initial impact point. The tree was on the edge of a wooded area about 100 yards west of the runway. The right wing and propeller were submerged in a creek. The fuselage exhibited accordion-style crushing damage consistent with a near-vertical impact.
The left wing fractured near the rear spar attachment point, with the inboard section rotated aft. The wing also fractured at midspan, and the outboard portion and wingtip rotated forward about 180°, aligning the tip with the airplane's longitudinal axis. The right wing fractured about 3 feet outboard of the fuselage attachment point and rotated forward about 30°. Control continuity to the ailerons could not be established due to impact damage.
The left and right horizontal stabilizers, elevators, vertical stabilizer, and rudder remained attached and were relatively undamaged. Control continuity was established from the elevator to the control stick and from the rudder to the control pedals.
The two spark plugs were removed from the engine with no anomalies. The engine rotated freely by hand with no binding or abnormal noise, and thumb compression was achieved on both cylinders.
Postaccident examination revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy performed by the Marion County Medical Examiner's Office determined the cause of death as blunt force trauma. Toxicology testing by the FAA Forensic Sciences Laboratory detected salicylate, ibuprofen, pheniramine, and fexofenadine in urine but not in blood. None of these substances are considered impairing.