Amateur-built Kitfox 2 accident near Corona, California, June 26, 2003
On June 26, 2003 at about 6:10 pm local time, a amateur-built Kitfox 2, registered N164JR, was substantially damaged in an accident near Corona, California. 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 improper design and installation of the airplane's fuel system by the builder of the experimental airplane, which resulted in fuel starvation and a loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 26, 2003 · about 6:10 pm local time
- Place
- Corona, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Kitfox 2
- Registration
- N164JR · registry record · serial 268
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot reported a loss of engine power in the homebuilt experimental airplane when he reduced power and lowered the nose to descend for a landing. He was unable to restore engine power, and made an emergency landing in a dirt field. The airplane came to rest inverted, sustaining structural damage. The owner/pilot reported that the original builder of the airplane had installed the fuel pick up in the wing tanks so that when flying with half tanks in a nose down attitude, fuel was undeliverable to the engine. The owner/pilot noted he solved the problem by redesigning the fuel system so that the fuel flows into a header tank that has an associated electric fuel pump.
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: 720 hours in all; 50 in this make and model; 49 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days; 620 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 22, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 95 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 29, 2003; 40 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 950 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 832 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KAJO Corona CA at 6:05 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 4 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from CNO, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 LAX03LA211.