Summary
On February 08, 2019, a Denney KITFOX IV SPEEDSTER (N995BW) was involved in an incident near Page, AZ. All 2 people 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 lateral control during the landing flare, which resulted in the left wing striking a tree.
The pilot reported that, while en route, he observed that his passenger was becoming ill and he reached for the "sick bags", but he was unable to reach them due to his seat belt. He decided to make a precautionary landing on a dirt road. During the landing flare, a wind gust "pushed the right wing up", the airplane drifted left, and the left wing struck a tree. The airplane rotated counterclockwise and impacted the ground.
The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and right wing.
The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
The pilot reported that the wind was from an unknown direction at 8 to 14 knots, gusting to 14 to 16 knots.
This incident is documented in NTSB report GAA19CA133. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N995BW.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot's failure to maintain lateral control during the landing flare, which resulted in the left wing striking a tree.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
The pilot reported that, while en route, he observed that his passenger was becoming ill and he reached for the "sick bags", but he was unable to reach them due to his seat belt. He decided to make a precautionary landing on a dirt road. During the landing flare, a wind gust "pushed the right wing up", the airplane drifted left, and the left wing struck a tree. The airplane rotated counterclockwise and impacted the ground.
The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and right wing.
The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
The pilot reported that the wind was from an unknown direction at 8 to 14 knots, gusting to 14 to 16 knots. The automated weather observation station located about 12 miles from the accident site reported that, about 7 minutes before the accident, the wind was variable at 3 knots. The pilot was landing to the south.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# GAA19CA133