Amateur-built Kitfox 3 accident near Canon City, Colorado, December 31, 2006
On December 31, 2006 at about 9:30 pm local time, a amateur-built Kitfox 3, registered N928LM, was substantially damaged in an accident near Canon City, Colorado (Fremont County Airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The certificated flight instructor's failure to adequately supervise the dual student during the landing flare-touchdown, which resulted in a hard landing and a nose over. A factor associated with the accident is the dual student's improper recovery from a bounced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 31, 2006 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Canon City, Colorado · Fremont County Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Kitfox 3
- Registration
- N928LM · no longer on the register · serial 928
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The certificated flight instructor and the pilot/owner flew southeast of the airport to do air work. After 30 minutes, the airplane returned to the traffic pattern. The pilot/owner entered the traffic pattern on a left base leg for the runway, and the instructor pilot later commented, "Our turn to final was low, flat, at about 65 miles per hour with no flaps." He said that on final he reminded the pilot of the right crosswind, and to be sure that they touched down with no crab. The airplane touched down in a slight right crab and bounced. The instructor pilot said the stick was pushed forward, and they bounced again. On each bounce, the airplane continued to turn right. The left wingtip eventually scraped on the runway, the left main wheel axle fractured, and the airplane nosed over. Postaccident inspection of the airplane's systems disclosed no anomalies. The wind conditions at the time were 50 degrees off the runway heading at 3 knots.
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: 156 hours in all; 2 in this make and model; 23 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 94 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
Flight instructor
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: glider; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument airplane; instructor: sport pilot; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: balloon; rotorcraft: glider; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 20,150 hours in all; 3 in this make and model; 8 in the last 30 days; 20,000 as pilot in command; 6,500 on instruments
- Last flight review: March 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 100.4 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, March 1, 2006
- Maximum gross weight: 1,200 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 1V6 Canon City CO at 9:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 29, 5,399 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 37°F (3°C), dew point 19°F (-7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.18 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from PUB, 33 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.