Amateur-built KITFOX accident near Williamston, Michigan, November 30, 2019
On November 30, 2019 at about 4:00 pm local time, a 1992 amateur-built KITFOX, registered N58CD, was substantially damaged in an accident during taxi near Williamston, Michigan. 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 decision to continue taxiing the airplane on unsuitable terrain, which resulted in a nose-over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 30, 2019 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Williamston, Michigan · 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, built 1992
- Registration
- N58CD · registry record · serial 1458
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that he landed the airplane on a harvested field in an area that he had walked the day before. When he attempted to take off from a different location than the previous landing, the airplane encountered high wheel resistance due to the soft, wet ground, and he aborted the takeoff. The pilot stated that he had not walked or inspected the area where the takeoff attempt was conducted. While attempting to taxi to the previous landing location, dirt and mud collected on the main landing gear (MLG) between the MLG leg and the tire, which caused the wheel to lock up as if the brakes had been applied. The pilot attempted to reduce engine power, but the airplane slowly nosed over, which resulted in substantial damage to the wings, fuselage, and vertical tail. The pilot reported that there was no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions of the braking system and that the tires stopped rotating due to the dirt and mud between the MLG leg and the tire.
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
- Miscellaneous/other during taxi
- Attempted remediation/recovery during taxi
- Nose over/nose down during taxi defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › Soft surface › Effect on operation
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › Soft surface › Decision related to condition
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 75 hours in all; 15 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 433 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, December 28, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 1,050 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 582UL (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: N58Cd LLC
The flight
- Departed from: 69G Gregory MI at 3:15 pm
- Destination: Williamston MI
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 8 knots, gusting 14
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,300 ft
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 3:55 pm from ETW, 88 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on February 28, 2020. 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 | Record of Conversation with Pilot | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Photographs of Accident Airplane | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.