Pilot Debrief

Kitfox Kitfox near Lander, WY — 2020-06-07

Final reportWPR20LA170
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Date
2020-06-07
Location
Lander, WY, USA
Aircraft
Kitfox Kitfox
Registration
N595KF
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Fatal
Fatalities
1
Phase of flight
Descent

Probable cause

The inexperienced pilot’s exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle-of-attack during a turn at high density altitude, which resulted in an accelerated stall and impact with water. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s poor judgment to continue the flight despite the airplane’s limited performance during the accident flight.

Contributing factors

Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s poor judgment to continue the flight despite the airplane’s limited performance during the accident flight.

NTSB narrative

The sport pilot departed in the experimental, amateur-built airplane from a high-altitude airport with a passenger toward a mountain range. Due to the airplane’s performance limitations in the high-altitude environment, the pilot was forced to circle twice as he climbed. After he entered the mountain range, he completed a circling descent to about 500 ft above ground level (agl) to overfly a lake located about 8,500 ft mean sea level (msl). The pilot then flew southwest over the lake at the planned altitude but encountered turbulence and downdrafts that forced the airplane to descend to about 25 ft agl. He applied full throttle to build airspeed and to climb, but the airplane did not climb. The pilot was forced to perform a left turn to avoid rising terrain to his right and obstacles ahead of him. However, during the maneuver, the airplane pitched up and turned left. It then immediately entered a nose-down attitude, consistent with an accelerated stall, and impacted the water. Postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no mechanical anomalies. Density altitude at the lake was about 9,500 ft. There were no charts to compute the airplane’s performance at 8,500 ft mean sea level but based on the pilot’s recollection of how the airplane was flying, the airplane’s climb performance was likely degraded at the density altitude he was operating. Any downdrafts would have further inhibited the airplane from a climb. The pilot likely exceeded the airplane’s critical angle-of-attack when he initiated a climbing left turn in such conditions. The pilot had limited practical experience flying in mountain environments and his most recent training took place about 1 year prior. These factors likely contributed to his poor judgment in choosing to continue the planned flight to a low altitude in a high-density altitude mountain environment despite the airplane’s deficient rate of climb.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Human factors
First missed decision gate
Pilot should have avoided flying in high wind conditions.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Photos
  • 8 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents8

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