Amateur-built Kit Fox 4 accident near Glendale, Arizona, March 3, 2003
On March 3, 2003 at about 9:00 pm local time, a amateur-built Kit Fox 4, registered N95FT, was substantially damaged in an accident near Glendale, Arizona. It was an instructional 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 propeller's separation in-flight as a result of a bird strike.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 3, 2003 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Glendale, Arizona · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Kit Fox 4
- Registration
- N95FT · registry record · serial 1557
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane impacted a dirt bank and nosed over during an emergency landing after the airplane lost a portion of its propeller during flight. During cruise flight, the pilots heard a loud "womp" followed by a vibration. The pilot could see that the propeller was split and a piece of it was missing. The pilot and his CFI advised the tower that they would be making an emergency landing. They shut down the engine, and made an approach to land in an alfalfa field; however, they hit the bank. The pilot found a small feather with a reddish colored material on the propeller after the accident. A propeller examination revealed no preimpact anomalies. Laboratory examination of the propeller revealed positive test results for blood and animal tissue.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 761 hours in all; 3 in this make and model; 3 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: July 12, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 15,000 hours in all; 40 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 15,000 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 14, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 146 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 11, 2002
- Maximum gross weight: 1,050 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Volkswagen 2180 Type I (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KGEU Glendale AZ at 8:10 pm
- Destination: KGEU
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 18,000 ft; ovct at 18,000 ft
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.93 inHg
- Observation at 8:47 pm from GEU
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N95FT 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.