History of Flight
On March 31, 2022, about 0938 central daylight time, an experimental Kitfox Series 7 airplane, registration N789RB, was destroyed when it crashed near Crowell, Texas. The private pilot and a student pilot-rated passenger sustained fatal injuries. The flight was conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight.
The brother of the pilot, who was also the father of the passenger, observed the accident. The purpose of the flight was for the pilot to show the passenger the airplane. The airplane departed from a dirt strip at the pilot's residence in Crowell around 0900. The pilot occupied the left seat and the passenger the right seat.
After takeoff, the airplane flew over Crowell, then returned to the dirt strip and flew slow over the strip to the northwest. The airplane climbed out to the left and, at about 650 ft above ground, the airplane stalled, the left wing dropped, and the nose went straight down. The airplane impacted rolling prairie and was destroyed by a postimpact fire.
The witness reported that the pilot was flying low and slow, the airplane stalled, the pilot lost control while in flight, and there was no altitude for recovery. He additionally noted that the engine operated normally throughout the flight with no mechanical issues.
Aircraft Information
The experimental airplane was built from a kit by an individual in Canada, with construction completed in May 2020. The accident pilot purchased the airplane in October 2020. A Transport Canada airworthiness certificate was issued for the airplane in September 2020 as an amateur-built airplane. No Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airworthiness certificate was located. Maintenance records were unavailable for review.
It was undetermined whether the airplane was equipped with a stall warning system or an angle of attack indicator. A historical photograph showed vortex generators installed on the wings, which lower stall speed.
Meteorological Information
At the time of the accident, the witness reported the temperature was about 70°F, wind from the northwest at 8-9 mph with no gusts, and visibility clear.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane came to rest upright on private property in a rural area at 1,528 ft above mean sea level. A postimpact fire consumed the airplane. All major structural components of the airframe were found at the accident site, and flight control continuity was established. The airframe fuel system and cockpit area were destroyed by the fire.
Airframe-to-engine control continuity was established. The engine sustained impact and fire damage; the case was mostly intact, but most accessories were damaged. The composite three-bladed propeller was thermally damaged and showed fracture damage consistent with the engine producing power at impact.
Examination of the airframe and engine revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
Medical and Pathological Information
The pilot had reported a history of heart attack, coronary artery stent placement, and bypass surgery to the FAA, along with use of pravastatin. According to the autopsy, the cause of death was blunt force trauma and the manner was accident. The pilot was hypertensive and had moderate to severe atherosclerotic heart disease. Toxicology testing identified ethanol at 0.012 gm/dl in cavity blood but not in urine, along with acetone and N-propanol. Famotidine was detected. Gabapentin was found at 1,872 ng/ml in cavity blood and 107,020 ng/ml in urine. Diphenhydramine was present in urine but not in cavity blood. Cetirizine was found at 31 ng/ml in cavity blood and 492 ng/ml in urine. Hydroxyzine was found at 10 ng/ml in cavity blood and 22 ng/ml in urine. Norchlorcyclizine was found at 35 ng/ml in cavity blood and detected in urine. Alpha-hydroxyalprazolam was not detected in cavity blood but was found in urine.
The student pilot-rated passenger had reported no chronic medical conditions or medication use. The cause of death was blunt force trauma, manner accident, with no significant natural disease identified. Toxicology testing did not find any tested-for substances.
Additional Information
FAA Advisory Circular AC 90-109A, Transition to Unfamiliar Aircraft, classifies Kitfox series airplanes as nontraditional and/or unfamiliar systems operation, requiring operational practices outside normal procedures for standard category airplanes. The FAA Airplane Flying Handbook discusses aerodynamic stall awareness, noting that the key is the pilot's ability to visualize angle of attack.