Miller KITFOX accident near Spencer, Indiana, July 29, 1994
On July 29, 1994 at about 10:10 pm local time, a Miller KITFOX, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N4268Y, was substantially damaged in an accident near Spencer, Indiana (Timber Trails 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
the private pilot/airplane builder's failure to maintain adequate clearance from obstacles during the approach to landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 29, 1994 · about 10:10 pm local time
- Place
- Spencer, Indiana · Timber Trails · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Miller KITFOX, amateur-built
- Registration
- N4268Y · no longer on the register · serial 142
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE 76-YEAR-OLD PILOT/AIRPLANE BUILDER REPORTED HE WAS TOO LOW ON FINAL APPROACH FOR HIS GRASS AIRSTRIP, AND MADE 'INSUFFICIENT CORRECTION.' THE AIRPLANE STRUCK A TREE AND DESCENDED TO THE GROUND IN AN AREA OF SMALL TREES. THE PILOT STATED THE AIRPLANE HAD A BLIND SPOT DUE TO THE POSITION OF THE NOSE IN THE APPROACH CONFIGURATION. HE DID NOT SEE THE TREE IN TIME TO AVOID IT. THE PILOT REPORTED HE HAD RECENTLY REMOVED SEVERAL TREES IN AN ATTEMPT TO REDUCE OBSTACLES ALONG THE APPROACH PATH TO THE 2,000 FOOT LONG GRASS STRIP.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 475 hours in all; 33 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 475 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 33 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, July 29, 1994; 13 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 850 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 532 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 2,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
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.