Gibbs KITFOX IV N728KF

Summary

On 28 August 2004 at about 19:37 local time, a Gibbs KITFOX IV registered N728KF was involved in an accident near Payson, Arizona, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 were seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

28 August 2004 at 19:37

Classification

Accident

Location

Payson, Arizona, United States

Nearest airport

Payson Airport (PAN)

Coordinates

34.2417, -111.4950

Aircraft

Gibbs KITFOX IV

Registration

N728KF

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Payson → Payson

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX04LA305

2 people were seriously injured.

the pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed, which resulted in a stall and subsequent collision with terrain. Contributing factors to the accident were the turbulence and the gusting wind conditions.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane collided with terrain following a loss of control while maneuvering. The pilot was flying the airplane about 10-12 miles west of the airport when he began to notice fluctuations in indicated airspeed, resulting from gusty wind conditions. Shortly thereafter, turbulence was encountered and the airplane's indicated airspeed suddenly dropped by more than 30 knots and the airplane stalled. The airplane's nose pitched down and the airplane rolled to the left. The airplane regained airspeed during the stall recovery, but the pilot was unable to maneuver the airplane to avoid rising terrain. The pilot-rated passenger recalled the pilot maneuvering the airplane into a narrow canyon northwest of the airport. As the pilot added power and configured the airplane in a climb, the airplane encountered turbulence, rolled to the left and pitched down. The pilot attempted to regain control, but was unable to avoid the terrain. The pilot of a Cessna 172 was maneuvering the airplane over the accident site for about 1 hour 30 minutes while directing an air ambulance helicopter to the location of the accident. The pilot reported that during this time, moderate turbulence and gusty wind conditions prevailed. The pilot encountered difficulty maintaining the airplane at the desired altitude of 7,500 feet mean sea level and at the appropriate airspeed. He added that the indicated airspeed fluctuated with wind gusts, and the airplane's altitude varied by more than 500 feet. The pilot and passenger both said there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.