Amateur-built Kitfox IV accident near Centerville, Texas, April 28, 2007
On April 28, 2007 at about 11:00 pm local time, a amateur-built Kitfox IV, registered N674F, was substantially damaged in an accident near Centerville, Texas (Dillard Ranch 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 loss of engine power due to the failure of the air induction ducting. A contributing factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 28, 2007 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Centerville, Texas · Dillard Ranch Airport
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Kitfox IV
- Registration
- N674F · registry record · serial 1674
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The 80-horsepower engine on the single-engine experimental airplane lost power during the initial takeoff climb from runway 06. The 133-hour private pilot added that the engine began sputtering and running rough during the initial climb. The pilot added that he tried to pull the choke and alter the throttle settings in an attempt to regain engine power, to no avail. The pilot initiated a forced landing to a nearby clearing; however, the pilot did not have sufficient altitude and the airplane landed in trees. The airplane came to rest suspended in trees in a near vertical nose low attitude. The pilot was able to exit the airplane without injuries. Post-accident inspection of the engine revealed that the carburetor rubber flange coupler had failed, which resulted in the reported loss of engine power. The pilot added that the coupler (part number 267788) needs to have Kevlar material added in the injection mold process to prevent similar mishaps. The airplane sustained structural damage to both wings. The longeron and horizontal stabilizer were both bent. The airplane and engine were reported to have accumulated a total of 275-hours since new. The weather at the nearest weather reporting station located approximately 29 miles to the north north-east of the accident site reported calm winds, clear skies, and 20-statute mile visibility.
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: 133 hours in all; 3 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 106 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 275 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, July 1, 2006
- Maximum gross weight: 1,050 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912ul (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TE01 Centerville TX at 11:00 pm
- Destination: 0TE4
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 06, 3,100 ft by 90 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 10:00 pm from KPSN, 29 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.
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.