Amateur-built KitFox 4 accident near Madison, Mississippi, May 9, 2009
On May 9, 2009 at about 9:00 pm local time, a amateur-built KitFox 4, registered N248DR, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff (rejected takeoff) near Madison, Mississippi (Madison 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 pilot’s failure to maintain aircraft control during an aborted formation takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 9, 2009 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Madison, Mississippi · Madison · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built KitFox 4 1200
- Registration
- N248DR · no longer on the register · serial ACS112
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that he was departing from runway 17 about 75 yards behind another airplane in tandem formation. During the takeoff roll, the lead airplane aborted the takeoff. The second airplane was near rotation speed when the pilot aborted the takeoff as well. Wanting not to get too close to the lead airplane, he departed the runway off the left side. The airplane became airborne, stalled, and the left wing tip impacted the ground, spinning the airplane and resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of control in flight during takeoff (rejected takeoff) defining event
- Runway excursion during takeoff (rejected takeoff)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 650 hours in all; 250 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 1,200 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Bombardier-Rotax 582 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MBO Madison MS at 10:00 pm
- Destination: MBO Madison MS
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 17, 4,444 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 6,000 ft; a few clouds at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
- Observation at 1:54 am from JAN, 7 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.