No fatalities

13 Oct 2018: Skystar KITFOX SER 5 SAFARI SERIES 5 — Monte Vista, CO

Monte Vista, CO, United States

On 13 Oct 2018, a Skystar KITFOX SER 5 SAFARI SERIES 5 was involved in an aviation accident near Monte Vista, CO. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's improper landing flare in gusting crosswind conditions, which resulted in a hard, bounced landing and his subsequent failure to maintain directional control. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 5 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

A pilot witness reported that an airplane landed hard, bounced, and stalled before nosing over. The pilot stated that during taxi, he oversped the tailwheel-equipped airplane, causing the left gear to hit a berm, leading to a ground loop and nosedown.

Incident Overview

A witness at the accident airport reported observing an airplane during landing. The wind was 5 mph from the southeast. According to the witness, the airplane appeared low and fast during the approach. The airplane then landed hard, bounced approximately 4 to 5 feet into the air, and touched back down on the runway. The witness noted that the pilot appeared to apply power in an attempt to recover, but while the airplane was about 2 feet off the ground, it began turning to the left. The wings leveled briefly before the airplane aerodynamically stalled and nosed over into brush.

Pilot Report

The pilot reported that while taxiing, he "over sped" the tailwheel-equipped airplane, causing the left main landing gear to impact a berm. Subsequently, the airplane veered left, bounced, the right wing impacted the ground, and the airplane entered a ground loop before coming to rest nosed over.

Damage Assessment

The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and windscreen.

Mechanical Condition

The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Contributing factors

Causes

Directional control — Not attained/maintainedPilot

Other contributing factors

Effect on operation