MCHUGH TONY KITFOX MODEL 1 — Montrose, PA, 2015

MCHUGH TONY KITFOX MODEL 1 — Montrose, PA

1 fatal Low-time pilotBase-to-final turn

Date	August 7, 2015
Location	Montrose, PA
Aircraft	MCHUGH TONY KITFOX MODEL 1 (amateur-built)
Purpose of flight	Personal
Conditions	Day · Visual Meteorological Cond
Phase / occurrence	Approach-VFR pattern final Aerodynamic stall/spin
Pilot age	66
Pilot total time	300 hrs · Low time
Time in type	90 hrs
Fatalities	1

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane during final approach, which resulted in the airplane's wing exceeding its critical angle-of-attack and a subsequent aerodynamic stall.

NTSB findings

Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C
Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Angle of attack-Capability exceeded - C

What happened

The private pilot/owner of the experimental amateur-built airplane was attempting to land on the 431-ft-long grass airstrip for the first time. According to a witness, before the accident, the pilot had flown three practice approaches without landing. The witness reported that, during the fourth approach, the airplane entered a steep-bank-angle turn onto final approach and then "went straight down" to ground impact. The airplane came to rest on its nose, and a fire erupted. The witness' description of the event and the impact geometry are consistent with the pilot conducting a steep turn that resulted in the wing exceeding its critical angle-of-attack and a subsequent aerodynamic stall. Examination of the wreckage did not reveal evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation of the airframe or engine.

An editorial "what led to it / how to avoid it" analysis for this accident is generated separately and will appear here.