Kitfox 4-1200 N494KF

Summary

On 27 February 2022 at about 23:00 local time, a Kitfox 4-1200 registered N494KF was involved in an accident near Woodstock, Texas, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

27 February 2022 at 23:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Woodstock, Texas, United States

Coordinates

33.5799, -94.4226

Aircraft

Kitfox 4-1200

Registration

N494KF

Category

Airplane

Year built

1994

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Atlanta

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Dusk

NTSB number

CEN22LA133

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s failure to maintain proper airspeed and his exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot departed from a river sand bar, and shortly after takeoff the airplane encountered an unexpected left quartering tailwind. The pilot reported that the airplane’s left wing stalled, which induced a spin at a low altitude. The airplane’s left wing and forward left fuselage impacted the shallow river water and sustained substantial damage. Since the accident, the airplane washed away in the river current and has not been located. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.