Amateur-built Kitfox III accident near Rockford, Illinois, August 19, 2012
On August 19, 2012 at about 5:45 pm local time, a amateur-built Kitfox III, registered N942EJ, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Rockford, Illinois (Cottonwood Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper installation of a spark plug, which led to a partial loss of engine power after takeoff and the resultant forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 19, 2012 · about 5:45 pm local time · cases in 2012
- Place
- Rockford, Illinois · Cottonwood Airport · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Kitfox III
- Registration
- N942EJ · registry record · serial 942
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane experienced a partial loss of engine power shortly after takeoff, and the pilot performed a forced landing to a field. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed that a spark plug that the pilot installed about 2 flight hours before the accident had loosened and separated from its cylinder during the accident takeoff. The pilot stated that the accident could have been prevented if the spark plugs were tightened and rechecked when they were installed.
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
- Aircraft maintenance event during prior to flight
- Part(s) separation from AC during takeoff defining event
- Loss of engine power (partial) during initial climb
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Installation › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Ignition system › Spark plugs/igniters › Not specified other cases naming the engine
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 190 hours in all; 90 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 108 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: March 21, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 300 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, April 5, 2011
- Maximum gross weight: 1,050 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 582 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 1C8 Rockford IL at 5:45 pm
- Destination: 1C8 Rockford IL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 13,000 ft; a few clouds at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Observation at 5:54 pm from RFD, 6 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on July 31, 2013. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Maintenance Records | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N942EJ on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Engine: Rotax 582 62 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Cottonwood Airport · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Illinois 2,118 since 1982 · 251 in the last ten years
- Illinois 8,065 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN12LA577.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.