Amateur-built KITFOX MDL CLASSICIV accident near Floodwood, Minnesota, February 28, 2019
On February 28, 2019 at about 7:35 pm local time, a 2007 amateur-built KITFOX MDL CLASSICIV, registered N111YT, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Floodwood, Minnesota (Pvt 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's loss of lateral control while landing in gusting crosswind conditions, which resulted in a nose-over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 28, 2019 · about 7:35 pm local time
- Place
- Floodwood, Minnesota · Pvt · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built KITFOX MDL CLASSICIV IV1200, built 2007
- Registration
- N111YT · registry record · serial C97070196
- 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 in a crosswind, he planned to touch down 2 ft past the beginning of the compacted, snow-covered, private airstrip. He added that, "in order to perform [the short field landing, he] chose to ride the tires just over the terrain until touchdown." He reported further that, after the front main landing gear touched down, a wind gust picked up the right wing, the left tire sank in the snow, and the airplane decelerated and then nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported that there were not preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that the wind at the accident location, about the time of the accident, was from 230° at 9 knots, gusting to 15 knots. The pilot was landing the airplane to the southwest on a 210° heading.
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
- Other weather encounter during landing
- Nose over/nose down during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Crosswind correction › 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
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Snowy/icy terrain › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: sport pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 233 hours in all; 111 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 233 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 28, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 528.9 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, May 22, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 1,200 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912UL (piston); 285 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: COQ Cloquet MN at 7:15 pm
- Destination: PVT Floodwood MN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 21, 1,300 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: -8°F (-22°C), dew point -11°F (-24°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 1:21 pm from KCOQ, 21 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number GAA19CA154.