EBENSBURG, PA, USA
N317RS
Statz KITFOX II
The private pilot was practicing touch and go wheel landings on runway 25, when the airplane bounced. The pilot added power and the airplane initially went left. He added right rudder to correct and the airplane departed the runway on the right side, and went down an embankment. The pilot reported the winds were from 350 degrees at 3 knots. He reported his total flight experience as 150 hours with 5.6 hours in make and model. The FAA examined the airplane and reported no evidence of a mechanical failure or malfunction.
On November 18, 1999, about 1145 eastern standard time, a homebuilt Kitfox II, N317RS, was substantially damaged at the Ebensburg Airport, Ebensburg, Pennsylvania. The certificated private pilot received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight. No flight plan had been filed for the flight that was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. According to the airport manager, the pilot was practicing touch and go wheel landings on runway 25. The accident occurred during the second wheel landing. The pilot reported that at a speed of about 30 miles per hour (MPH), the airplane bounced. He added power, and the airplane turned left. He then applied right rudder to correct and the airplane departed the runway on the right side, and went down an embankment. According to an inspector from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the left wing was bent, the landing gear had collapsed rearward, and the fuselage was twisted. In addition, there was no evidence of a mechanical failure of malfunction with the airframe or engine. According to FAA records, the pilot had received his private pilot certificate on December 9, 1998. The pilot received a tailwheel checkout on September 18, 1999, after he received 8.4 hours in a Piper J3. He reported his total flight experience as 150 hours, with 5.6 hours in the Kitfox.
was the failure of the pilot to maintain directional control during a bounced landing recovery. A factor was the pilot's lack of experience in make and model.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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