N1195F

On October 9, 2001, at 1211 central daylight time, a Kainz Kitfox IV, N1195F, piloted by a private pilot, was destroyed when it departed controlled flight and impacted trees and the ground near Tomahawk, Wisconsin. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was being conducted under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91 without a flight plan. The pilot and passenger on board the airplane both sustained serious injuries in the accident. The local flight originated off of Lake Mohawksin, near Tomahawk, Wisconsin, at 1135.

A witness stated he saw the airplane spiral straight down into the trees.

In his written statement, the pilot said while he was at 3,000 feet and conducting a slow flight maneuver, the airplane's right wing dropped suddenly and the airplane entered a spin. The pilot said he tried to recover but couldn't stop the right turning spin. The pilot said that about 2 1/2 spins from the tree tops, he pulled back on the stick. The airplane's nose came up and slowed just prior to the impact with the trees.

A Federal Aviation Administration inspector examined the airplane at the accident site. The airplane was resting on its nose among pine trees along the edge of a lake. Several broken pine tree boughs rested on the ground near the airplane. The airplane's engine, engine cowling, engine mounts, firewall, and forward fuselage were crushed aft. Both wings were crushed aft along the leading edges and showed several tears in the fabric skin. The airplane's right flap and aileron were broken off and found suspended in the trees. The floats were bent upward and aft. The aft fuselage showed skin wrinkles. The left horizontal stabilizer and elevator were bent aft. One of the three propeller blades was broken off near the hub. Another blade showed leading edge nicks and chordwise scratches. Flight control continuity was confirmed. An examination of the engine, engine controls and other airplane systems revealed no anomalies.