Amateur-built Kitfox IV accident near Burkesville, Kentucky, July 17, 2008
On July 17, 2008, a amateur-built Kitfox IV, registered N70694, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Burkesville, Kentucky. 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 total loss of engine power due to the installation of an engine oil filter that did not meet the engine manufacture's specifications.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 17, 2008
- Place
- Burkesville, Kentucky · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Kitfox IV
- Registration
- N70694 · no longer on the register · serial 1781
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that while the airplane was in cruise flight, he heard a "loud bang" and the "engine stopped." He then aligned the airplane with a road to perform an off-airport emergency landing. While on short final, he identified powerlines which required him to trade airspeed for altitude. After clearing the powerlines, the airplane touched down hard on the road causing substantial damage to the fuselage. An external examination of the non-certificated engine revealed a hole in the front of the engine case as well as a crack in the No. 2 cylinder. Oil was found in the oil reservoir, and was measurable on the engine oil dipstick; however, installed on the engine was an oil filter that did not meet the engine manufacture's specifications. It did not properly fit the engine oil filter mount, and lacked critical features needed to ensure normal engine operation such as a bypass valve, pressure release of the bypass valve, an anti-drain back valve, and the proper amount of filter matting.
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
- Powerplant sys/comp malf/fail during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute (cruise)
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
- Hard landing during landing
- Landing gear collapse during landing
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng cyl section › Failure
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Eng oil sys (airframe furnish) › Eng oil dist (airframe furn) › Incorrect service/maintenance
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Installation › Not specified
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 500 hours in all; 22 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: unk
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 1,200 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Burkesville KY
- Destination: NONE
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.17 inHg
- Observation at 10:56 pm from EKQ, 29 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.