Amateur-built KITFOX SUPER SPORT accident near Afton, Wyoming, September 2, 2017
On September 2, 2017 at about 9:00 pm local time, a 2011 amateur-built KITFOX SUPER SPORT, registered N429NC, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR go-around) near Afton, Wyoming (Afton Muni 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 bank control during an attempted go-around.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 2, 2017 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Afton, Wyoming · Afton Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built KITFOX SUPER SPORT NO SERIES, built 2011
- Registration
- N429NC · no longer on the register · serial KA10123166
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, during landing, the airplane bounced, so he applied power for a go-around. He added that the airplane "immediately banked left sharply." He attempted to recover by using rudder and aileron inputs, but the airplane impacted terrain. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. A review of recorded data from the automated weather observation station located on the airport revealed that, about 5 minutes before the accident, the wind was calm. The airplane was landing on runway 34.
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
- Loss of control in flight during approach (VFR go-around) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during approach (VFR go-around)
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 › Lateral/bank control › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 289.7 hours in all; 91.1 in this make and model; 27.2 in the last 90 days; 13.6 in the last 30 days; 191.8 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 5, 2016
- Medical certificate: BasicMed (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 175.8 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 22, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 1,550 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotec R2800 MKII (piston); 176 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: U76 Mountain Home ID at 6:40 pm
- Destination: AFO Afton WY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 34, 7,025 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 32°F (0°C)
- Altimeter: 30.32 inHg
- Observation at 8:55 pm from KAFO, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on November 14, 2017. 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 | Accident Photo (Courtesy of Pilot) | 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.
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.