Amateur-built KIT FOX accident near Montgomery, Alabama, December 15, 1996
On December 15, 1996 at about 9:15 pm local time, a amateur-built KIT FOX, registered N19VX, was substantially damaged in an accident near Montgomery, Alabama (Autauga County 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
improper installation of a throttle cable clamp by an unknown person, resulting in a loose throttle cable housing and an inability to control the throttle position; and failure of the pilot to maintain adequate airspeed during an approach for an emergency (forced) landing, which resulted in a stall and collision with the terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 15, 1996 · about 9:15 pm local time
- Place
- Montgomery, Alabama · Autauga County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built KIT FOX
- Registration
- N19VX · registry record · serial JVL019
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that after takeoff, he made a normal climb to 700 feet msl (about 500 feet agl) and turned to a crosswind. At 900 feet msl, he noted a decrease in power, and the engine rpm dropped to about 1,000 rpm. He adjusted the mixture and turned the carburetor heat on, but the airplane would not sustain flight. The pilot initiated a forced landing in an open field with soft terrain, and aligned his approach to furrows in the field. However, according to an FAA inspector, who examined the accident site, there were indications that the airplane impacted the ground in a nose down, left-wing low attitude. The airplane then nosed over and came to rest inverted. Examination of the engine revealed that an Adel clamp, which held the throttle cable in place, was not correctly installed. The rubber bushing was reversed with the split to the inside. The clamp had loosened and would not hold the throttle cable housing, preventing throttle control.
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: 746 hours in all; 468 in this make and model; 64 in the last 90 days; 40 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 1,200 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Nsi EA-81 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 1A9 Prattville AL at 9:10 pm
- Destination: BIX Biloxi MS
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 9, 3,499 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 pm from MGM, 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 MIA97LA039.