Amateur-built KITFOX SUPER SPORT accident near Old Forge, New York, September 21, 2017
On September 21, 2017 at about 3:45 pm local time, a 2014 amateur-built KITFOX SUPER SPORT, registered N233TD, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Old Forge, New York (Old Forge airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The separation of the wheel assembly during landing due to the pilot’s use of improper retaining nuts when he installed the tundra tires.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 21, 2017 · about 3:45 pm local time
- Place
- Old Forge, New York · Old Forge · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built KITFOX SUPER SPORT SUPER SPOR, built 2014
- Registration
- N233TD · no longer on the register · serial KA12155233
- 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 in the experimental, amateur-built, tailwheel-equipped airplane, he touched down on a turf surface runway, and the airplane bounced. When the airplane descended to the surface, the right main landing gear wheel and brake assembly separated from the landing gear leg. The pilot reported that the airplane "skidded down" the runway and nosed over. The pilot reported that he had recently installed tundra tires on the airplane and that the four bolts that came with the tundra tire kit were not long enough to properly secure the wheel and brake assembly to the landing gear leg. He recalled that he used four bolts that were longer; however, they were not provided by the manufacturer. He asserted that the nuts he used to retain the bolts were provided in the wheel assembly kit. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right-wing strut and the left-wing spar.
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
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during landing (landing roll)
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Wheel/ski/float › Failure
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Installation › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 180 hours in all; 113 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: July 5, 2016
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 113 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 1, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 1,320 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming 233 (piston); 113 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FZY Fulton NY at 2:00 pm
- Destination: NK26 Old Forge NY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 09, 3,200 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.07 inHg
- Observation at 7:56 pm from KGTB, 38 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
2 documents, released by the NTSB on March 27, 2018. 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 | Photos (Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 3 pages | 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.