Amateur-built KITFOX SERIES 7 accident near Lowville, New York, July 15, 2018
On July 15, 2018 at about 2:30 pm local time, a 2004 amateur-built KITFOX SERIES 7, registered N555HT, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Lowville, New York. 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 a proper airspeed during the approach to land, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 15, 2018 · about 2:30 pm local time
- Place
- Lowville, New York · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built KITFOX SERIES 7 No Series, built 2004
- Registration
- N555HT · no longer on the register · serial S60111-076
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, during landing, about 5 ft off the ground, the left wing raised, and the right wing impacted the ground. Subsequently, the airplane twisted right and landed sideways on the left main landing gear. The pilot further reported in a telephone conversation that, during the landing, the airplane got slow, there was a breeze from the left, and the airplane did not respond after he applied correction for lateral control. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings, the fuselage, and the elevator. The pilot recommended that he should have had more speed or performed a go-around. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions 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
- Loss of control in flight during landing defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
- Roll over during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Lateral/bank control › Attain/maintain not possible
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 189 hours in all; 186 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 20, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 898 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 8, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 1,550 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912ULS (piston); 898 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 6B4 Utica/Frankfort NY at 12:50 pm
- Destination: Lowville NY
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 3,300 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 2:56 pm from KGTB, 18 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on October 29, 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 | Pilot Roc | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Accident Picture | 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 N555HT the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.