Summary
On June 07, 2010, a Bordelon Kitfox IV (N396BK) was involved in an incident near Stanton, MN. All 1 person aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The pilot’s inadvertent propeller blade pitch change and subsequent loss of forward thrust.
The accident occurred during the first flight since the experimental amateur-built airplane had been repaired from a previous accident. The pilot stated that after departure he performed two landings without incident. On the third landing attempt, the in-flight electrically adjustable propeller went into a low/flat pitch while the airplane was on an extended final approach. The pilot stated that the airplane lost forward thrust as result of the flat propeller blade pitch and that he landed short of the turf runway. The airplane subsequently nosed-over and came to rest inverted. The fuselage and empennage were substantially damaged. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane.
This incident is documented in NTSB report CEN10CA304. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N396BK.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot’s inadvertent propeller blade pitch change and subsequent loss of forward thrust.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
The accident occurred during the first flight since the experimental amateur-built airplane had been repaired from a previous accident. The pilot stated that after departure he performed two landings without incident. On the third landing attempt, the in-flight electrically adjustable propeller went into a low/flat pitch while the airplane was on an extended final approach. The pilot stated that the airplane lost forward thrust as result of the flat propeller blade pitch and that he landed short of the turf runway. The airplane subsequently nosed-over and came to rest inverted. The fuselage and empennage were substantially damaged. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane. He stated that the flat propeller pitch may have been inadvertently set during flight when he mistakenly depressed the propeller pitch selector instead of the intended push-to-talk button. Both buttons were collocated on the control stick.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# CEN10CA304