Amateur-built KITFOX IV SPEEDSTER accident near Page, Arizona, February 8, 2019
On February 8, 2019 at about 6:00 pm local time, a 2003 amateur-built KITFOX IV SPEEDSTER, registered N995BW, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Page, Arizona. 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 failure to maintain lateral control during the landing flare, which resulted in the left wing striking a tree.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 8, 2019 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Page, Arizona · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built KITFOX IV SPEEDSTER, built 2003
- Registration
- N995BW · no longer on the register · serial JBS-070
- 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, while en route, he observed that his passenger was becoming ill, and he reached for the "sick bags," but he was unable to reach them due to his seat belt. He decided to make a precautionary landing on a dirt road. The pilot added that, during the landing flare, a wind gust "pushed the right wing up," the airplane drifted left, and the left wing struck a tree. The airplane rotated counterclockwise and impacted the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and right wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that the wind was from an unknown direction at 8 to 14 knots, gusting to 14 to 16 knots. An automated weather observation station located about 12 miles from the accident site reported that, about 7 minutes before the accident, the wind was variable at 3 knots. The pilot was landing the airplane to the south.
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
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
- Other weather encounter during landing
- Loss of control in flight during landing defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Lateral/bank control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 506.2 hours in all; 286.1 in this make and model; 46.4 in the last 90 days; 16.6 in the last 30 days; 506.2 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 4, 2018
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 475.8 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 16, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 1,200 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912UL (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: U96 Halls Crossing UT at 5:30 pm
- Destination: BXK Buckeye AZ
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 32°F (0°C), dew point 16°F (-9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.21 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from KPGA, 12 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 20, 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, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Photos | PDF, 2 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.