Amateur-built KITFOX III accident near Bumpass, Virginia, December 20, 2014
On December 20, 2014 at about 7:25 pm local time, a 2008 amateur-built KITFOX III, registered N573TB, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Bumpass, Virginia. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper flare during a water landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 20, 2014 · about 7:25 pm local time · cases in 2014
- Place
- Bumpass, Virginia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built KITFOX III, built 2008
- Registration
- N573TB · registry record · serial 1016
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot he and his passenger departed from a lake marina on a local flight to conduct water take offs and landings. The flight was uneventful, but during the landing approach, the pilot reported that he misjudged the flare height due to the lack of visual reference on the water surface. He flared the airplane high and subsequently landed hard. Post-accident investigation revealed that the left forward float strut attachment point and lower left frame tube was sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Incorrect use/operation
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,479 hours in all; 55 in this make and model; 23 in the last 90 days; 8.8 in the last 30 days; 5,125 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 9, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 248.5 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, August 28, 2014; 60 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,250 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912UL (piston); 308 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Lake Anna VA at 7:00 pm
- Destination: Lake Anna VA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 10,000 ft; clear
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.23 inHg
- Observation at 6:55 pm from LKU, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on July 9, 2015. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photo 1 - Lower Strut and Fuselage (Photo Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Photo 2 - Right Side of Rear Fuselage (Photo Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Photo 3 - Internal Frame Rear Fuselage (Photo Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Photo 4 - Bent Lower Left Inner Frame Tube (Photo Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N573TB the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N573TB on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Engine: Rotax 912UL 134 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Accidents and incidents in Virginia 1,361 since 1982 · 228 in the last ten years
- Virginia 5,972 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N573TB 1 records · the number may have belonged to another aircraft at the time
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ERA15CA080.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.