Summary
On July 03, 2014, a Wiley Kitfox IV (N5KW) was involved in an accident near Sprague, WA. The accident resulted in 1 serious injury. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this accident to be: The pilot's failure to maintain adequate clearance from powerlines during the landing approach resulting in a collision.
The pilot stated that the purpose of the flight was to practice taxiing in his recently purchased airplane. While taxiing, the airplane unintentionally became airborne which the pilot accredited to a combination of a weather inversion, vortex generators, and a three-blade propeller which produced enough lift at a slow groundspeed. The pilot decided that in an effort to not collide with an electric fence ahead, he would need to add full power and fly the airplane in a traffic pattern to come back and land. The pilot maneuvered to land on his grass strip and aborted the landing after assessing that the terrain would not be suitable. He maneuvered to an area about 0.5 miles away knowing that the terrain would be flat and adequate length.
This accident is documented in NTSB report WPR14CA279. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N5KW.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate clearance from powerlines during the landing approach resulting in a collision.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
The pilot stated that the purpose of the flight was to practice taxiing in his recently purchased airplane. While taxiing, the airplane unintentionally became airborne which the pilot accredited to a combination of a weather inversion, vortex generators, and a three-blade propeller which produced enough lift at a slow groundspeed. The pilot decided that in an effort to not collide with an electric fence ahead, he would need to add full power and fly the airplane in a traffic pattern to come back and land. The pilot maneuvered to land on his grass strip and aborted the landing after assessing that the terrain would not be suitable. He maneuvered to an area about 0.5 miles away knowing that the terrain would be flat and adequate length. He was familiar with the area and knew that powerlines ran perpendicular to his flight path. During the approach, he again elected to go-around and configured the airplane for his third attempt to land. While on the final approach, the pilot reduced the power and the airplane rapidly lost altitude, resulting in a collision with the powerlines and collision with the ground.
The pilot reported no pre impact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# WPR14CA279