Amateur-built KITFOX IV accident near Longmont, Colorado, October 24, 1992
On October 24, 1992 at about 5:01 pm local time, a amateur-built KITFOX IV, registered N130T, was destroyed in an accident near Longmont, Colorado (Vance Brand Airport). 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
AN INADVERTENT STALL. A FACTOR WAS: THE PILOT'S LACK OF FAMILIARITY WITH THE AIRPLANE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 24, 1992 · about 5:01 pm local time
- Place
- Longmont, Colorado · Vance Brand Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built KITFOX IV
- Registration
- N130T · registry record · serial 1608
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT WAS PLANNING TO PURCHASE THE HOMEBUILT AIRPLANE. THE OWNER SAID HE GAVE THE PILOT PERMISSION TO TAXI THE AIRPLANE AROUND THE RAMP, BUT DID NOT GIVE HIM PERMISSION TO FLY. THE AIRPLANE WAS SEEN TO TAKE OFF AND ATTAIN A NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE. ONE WITNESS SAID THE AIRPLANE WAS FLYING 'SLOWLY' AND IT APPEARED THE PILOT WAS NOT 'IN FULL LATERAL CONTROL.' ANOTHER WITNESS SAID IT APPEARED THE PILOT WAS MAKING 'A LOT OF SMALL CONTROL ADJUSTMENTS, LIKE HE WAS BUSY KEEPING IT WHERE HE WANTED IT, BUT IT WAS UNDER CONTROL.' THE FIRST WITNESS SAID THE AIRPLANE DID 'A CLASSIC DEPARTURE STALL,' WENT INVERTED, AND ENTERED A FLAT SPIN. ANOTHER WITNESS SAW THE AIRPLANE SPIN TO THE GROUND. TWO OTHER WITNESSES REPORTED THAT THE AIRPLANE NOSED DOWN TO IMPACT. NO AIRFRAME, ENGINE, PROPELLER, OR FLIGHT CONTROL DISCREPANCIES WERE NOTED.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 500 hours in all; 25 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 40 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, September 27, 1992; 40 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,050 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: 2V2 at 5:00 pm
- Destination: 2V2
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 29, 4,800 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:58 pm from BJC, 16 miles away
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 N130T the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 DEN93LA007.