Amateur-built KITFOX accident near Mt Vernon, Illinois, July 30, 1996
On July 30, 1996 at about 4:50 pm local time, a amateur-built KITFOX, registered N8200Q, was destroyed in an accident near Mt Vernon, Illinois. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
failure of the pilot to maintain control of the airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 30, 1996 · about 4:50 pm local time
- Place
- Mt Vernon, Illinois · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built KITFOX
- Registration
- N8200Q · no longer on the register · serial 1847
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was found three days after it was declared missing. It had been consumed by fire after a collision with trees. Examination of wreckage revealed no mechanical anomaly that would have prevented normal flight. A witness said he observed the airplane flying level near the departure airport. He said it was at an altitude equal to other airplanes departing and arriving at the airport. The witness said the airplane suddenly pitched down, descended below trees, and did not come back up. He said he did not call the authorities because he did not hear a crash or see smoke. Also, he said the weather was clear and sunny. The coroner was an FAA DME (designated medical examiner). He said he had denied the accident pilot a medical certificate due to heart disease, but the pilot appealed his decision and was given a special medical certificate. A toxicology test and autopsy were inconclusive due to inadequate or unsuitable specimens.
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: 424 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: MVN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°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.
Other NTSB records under N8200Q 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.