Amateur-built KITFOX accident near Omaha, Nebraska, January 27, 1996
On January 27, 1996 at about 8:46 pm local time, a amateur-built KITFOX, registered N99SV, was substantially damaged in an accident near Omaha, Nebraska (Eppley Airfield). 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).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's inadequate preflight of the aircraft and the frozen left landing gear wheel.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 27, 1996 · about 8:46 pm local time
- Place
- Omaha, Nebraska · Eppley Airfield · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built KITFOX
- Registration
- N99SV · registry record · serial 609
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During landing the airplane veered left and could not be corrected. The airplane then impacted a snowbank on the side of the runway and nosed over. The left wheel fairing was found completely packed with snow. Once the snow was removed the wheel rotated freely. The pilot stated that the snow apparently had accumulated in the wheel fairing when he taxied through snow drifts earlier prior to departing the North Omaha airport for Denison. While landing at Denison, the airplane had pulled to the right. During the return trip to the North Omaha airport, the pilot realized that his left brake was probably frozen, and decided to divert to the Eppley Airfield because of the wider runway there.
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
- Flight time: 292 hours in all; 113 in this make and model; 29 in the last 90 days; 16 in the last 30 days; 185 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (expired)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 270 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, May 1, 1995
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DNS Dennison IA at 7:00 pm
- Destination: OMA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 32R, 4,060 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 14 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 16°F (-9°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:46 pm from OMA
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CHI96LA084.