N35KF – KELM DAVID KITFOX 7 – 2015-12-12 NTSB Accident Report

On December 12, 2015, a Kelm David KITFOX 7 (N35KF) was involved in an incident near Tracy, CA. 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 failure to maintain pitch control during the landing, which resulted in a hard landing, runway excursion and impact with terrain.

The pilot reported that while conducting a touch-and-go landing in a tailwheel-equipped airplane, he "flared too high, touching down fairly hard." He reported that he attempted to abort the landing, the airplane departed the runway to the left, and the nose of the airplane impacted the ground coming to a stop. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing, fuselage, and empennage.

The pilot reported there were no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.

This incident is documented in NTSB report GAA16CA085. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N35KF.