Marks Ca Iii KITFOX II N915PK

Summary

On 10 June 2011 at about 22:35 local time, a Marks Ca Iii KITFOX II registered N915PK, operated by Perry Fielding, was involved in an accident near Scarborough, Maine, United States. 2 people were on board and one was seriously injured, one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

10 June 2011 at 22:35

Classification

Accident

Location

Scarborough, Maine, United States

Nearest airport

Private (NA)

Coordinates

43.5408, -70.3772

Aircraft

Marks Ca Iii KITFOX II

Registration

N915PK

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Perry Fielding

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Scarborough → Scarborough

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA11LA336

1 person was seriously injured.

The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the airplane while taking off with a gusting wind.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was conducting the airplane's first flight since it was purchased by the non-pilot passenger/owner about 4 months earlier. A preflight inspection revealed no anomalies, and the pilot taxied the airplane up and down the runway to familiarize himself with the flight controls. An engine run-up prior to takeoff further indicated no abnormalities. The pilot initiated the takeoff roll and the airplane became airborne about 500 to 800 feet down the turf runway. The airplane reached an altitude of about 100 feet before it turned right, descended, and then impacted the ground. The pilot reported that the airplane felt "sluggish" after takeoff and may have encountered a gust of wind but that he could not recall the specific accident sequence. An airport located 7 nautical miles from the accident site reported 12-knot wind, with gusts of up to 20 knots, which would have resulted in a slight tailwind condition during takeoff from the westerly-oriented runway. The owner stated that the airplane had not been flown in over a year prior to his purchasing it. Postaccident examination revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation of the engine.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.