Amateur-built KITFOX IV accident near Castlerock, Minnesota, July 31, 2012
On July 31, 2012 at about 7:10 pm local time, a amateur-built KITFOX IV, registered N396BK, was destroyed in an accident during approach (VFR go-around) near Castlerock, Minnesota (Private Landing Strip airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Propeller system failure during a go-around maneuver resulting in a forced landing. Contributing to the severity of damage to the airplane was the postimpact fire.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 31, 2012 · about 7:10 pm local time
- Place
- Castlerock, Minnesota · Private Landing Strip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built KITFOX IV 1200
- Registration
- N396BK · registry record · serial C9400070
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was flying his experimental airplane, practicing touch-and-go landings on his 1,400 foot long private grass airstrip. The weather was clear. During his third touch-and-go, he determined that he was going to land too long so he made a go-around. As he added power for the go-around, he started to feel vibrations and thought that he had a propeller malfunction. The vibrations continued regardless of power setting, so he shut down the engine and intentionally stalled the airplane about 10 feet above the ground to avoid rolling over when the airplane settled to the ground. The airplane came to rest in a corn field. The pilot saw that a fire had started in the engine compartment after ground impact, so he quickly exited the airplane. A post-crash fire then completely consumed the airplane. Examination of the airplane after the accident did not show any evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunction or abnormalities, although the fire damage was too extensive to specifically determine the reason for presumed propeller malfunction. After the examination, the pilot maintained that he was certain that there was a problem with the propeller and that it was the cause of the accident.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Powerplant sys/comp malf/fail during approach (VFR go-around) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft propeller/rotor › Propeller system › (general) › Malfunction
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 250 hours in all; 225 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: July 15, 2012
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 35 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, May 30, 2012; 5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,200 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Subaru EA B1 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: 000 Castlerock MN at 7:00 pm
- Destination: 000 Castlerock MN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 1,400 ft by 80 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.07 inHg
- Observation at 6:32 pm from SYN, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N396BK the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.