Amateur-built KITFOX II accident near Blaine, Minnesota, April 16, 2013
On April 16, 2013 at about 6:30 pm local time, a amateur-built KITFOX II, registered N389HW, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Blaine, Minnesota (Anoka County-Janes Field). 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
The pilot's improper touchdown and subsequent failure to maintain control of the airplane during the landing roll. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s lack of experience in tailwheel-equipped airplanes.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 16, 2013 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Blaine, Minnesota · Anoka County-Janes Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built KITFOX II
- Registration
- N389HW · no longer on the register · serial 389
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
On the pilot's first landing in the accident airplane, the airplane’s tailwheel touched down first, and then the airplane bounced on the main landing gear and rotated to the right. The pilot applied left rudder and added power in an attempt to go-around; however, the airplane’s right main gear and wing tip struck the ground, and the airplane nosed down, shearing off the propeller before coming to rest on the nose. The pilot said there was nothing mechanically wrong with the airplane. He reported only 3.4 hours of previous experience in tailwheel-equipped airplanes. Postaccident examination revealed substantial damage to the right wing spar.
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
- Tailstrike during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Loss of control on ground during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Dragged wing/rotor/float/other during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Pilot
- factor Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Experience/qualifications › Total experience w/ equipment › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,460 hours in all; 0 in this make and model; 4,267 as pilot in command; 3,650 on instruments
- Last flight review: October 30, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 220 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, December 1, 2012; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 950 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax UL 582MOD99 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KANE Blaine MN at 6:20 pm
- Destination: KANE Blaine MN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 5,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 5:55 pm from KANE
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on May 30, 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 | NTSB Form 6120.1, Pilot-operator Aircraft Accident Report | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | FAA Form 1360-33, Record of Conference | 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.
Other NTSB records under N389HW 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.