Amateur-built KITFOX SER 5 SAFARI accident near Monte Vista, Colorado, October 13, 2018
On October 13, 2018 at about 11:00 pm local time, a 1998 amateur-built KITFOX SER 5 SAFARI, registered N14GX, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Monte Vista, Colorado (Monte Vista 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 improper landing flare in gusting crosswind conditions, which resulted in a hard, bounced landing and his subsequent failure to maintain directional control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 13, 2018 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Monte Vista, Colorado · Monte Vista 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 SER 5 SAFARI SERIES 5, built 1998
- Registration
- N14GX · no longer on the register · serial S9801-0143
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A pilot-rated witness at the airport reported that, during the airplane’s approach, it appeared to be low and fast. The airplane landed hard, bounced about 4 to 5 ft, and then touched back down on the runway. The witness added that it appeared that the pilot tried to increase power to recover, but while the airplane was about 2 ft off the ground, it turned left. The wings then leveled shortly before the airplane aerodynamically stalled and then nosed over into brush. The pilot reported that, while "taxiing," he "over sped" the airplane, and the left main landing gear impacted a berm. Subsequently, the airplane veered left and bounced, the right wing impacted the ground, and the airplane then ground looped and came to rest nose down. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and windscreen. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. An automated weather observation station about 10 miles from the accident site reported that, about 5 minutes before the accident, the wind was from 250° at 14 knots, gusting to 25 knots. The pilot landed the airplane on runway 16.
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 on ground during landing defining event
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during landing
- Nose over/nose down during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Effect on operation
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 500 hours in all; 100 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 50 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 13, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 1,550 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-240 (piston); 50 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MVI Monte Vista CO at 11:00 pm
- Destination: MVI Monte Vista CO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16, 2,300 ft by 30 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 14 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 19°F (-7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.80 inHg
- Observation at 10:52 pm from KALS, 10 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 February 27, 2019. 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 | Witness Report | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Accident Pictures | 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.