Amateur-built Kitfox Classic IV accident near Limington, Maine, September 14, 2003
On September 14, 2003 at about 2:30 pm local time, a amateur-built Kitfox Classic IV, registered N10224, was substantially damaged in an accident near Limington, Maine (Limington-Harmon 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper flare, which resulted in a hard landing. A factor in this accident was the pilot's lack of experience in make and model.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 14, 2003 · about 2:30 pm local time
- Place
- Limington, Maine · Limington-Harmon · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Kitfox Classic IV
- Registration
- N10224 · no longer on the register · serial C0010-0263
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The homebuilt tail-wheeled airplane was landing on a 2,973-foot-long, 50-foot-wide, asphalt runway. The pilot reported that during the flare, the airplane's nose pitched up and he continued to a 3-point landing. The tail-wheel and main landing gear came down "rather hard," and the right main landing gear failed. The airplane departed the right side of the runway and struck trees. The accident flight was the airplane's first flight after being assembled. Examination of the airplane did not revealed any pre-impact mechanical malfunctions. The pilot reported about 140 hours of total flight experience, which included 1.7 hours in make and model.
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: student
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 137 hours in all; 2 in this make and model; 137 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 2, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, August 26, 2003; 4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,200 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912ULS (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 63B Limington ME at 2:30 pm
- Destination: 63B
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 11, 2,973 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.34 inHg
- Observation at 3:51 pm from PWM, 20 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.
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.