Amateur-built Kitfox V accident near Kalkaska, Michigan, April 27, 2018
On April 27, 2018 at about 6:16 pm local time, a 2007 amateur-built Kitfox V, registered N818TW, was destroyed in an accident during enroute near Kalkaska, Michigan (Kalkaska City Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain airplane control that resulted in a stall/spin following climb from the departure airport.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 27, 2018 · about 6:16 pm local time
- Place
- Kalkaska, Michigan · Kalkaska City Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Kitfox V, built 2007
- Registration
- N818TW · no longer on the register · serial V9908-072
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The personal flight in an experimental amateur-built airplane was underway when witnesses observed the airplane in a spin and without engine power. The airplane impacted the ground about 4 miles south of the departure airport. The airplane wreckage exhibited features consistent with a counterclockwise spin. Although witnesses reported they did not hear engine noise, postaccident examination of the airplane confirmed flight control continuity and found no mechanical anomalies with the engine that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute
- Loss of control in flight during enroute
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during enroute defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › (general) › Not specified
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 659 hours in all
- Last flight review: August 21, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 402.4 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, December 7, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 1,550 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental XIOF-240-B (piston); 402 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Y89 Kalkaska MI
- Destination: MCD Mackinac MI
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,400 ft; clear
- Temperature: 41°F (5°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.79 inHg
- Observation at 6:15 pm from ACB, 15 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
The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check at the NTSB.
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.