Amateur-built Kitfox IV accident near Sandpoint, Idaho, August 16, 2004
On August 16, 2004 at about 2:00 am local time, a amateur-built Kitfox IV, registered N90TY, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sandpoint, Idaho (Olmstead Sky Ranch 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
The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control during the landing roll. Contributing factors were the rough grass runway, and the trees on the left side of the runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 16, 2004 · about 2:00 am local time
- Place
- Sandpoint, Idaho · Olmstead Sky Ranch Airport · 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
- N90TY · registry record · serial 1822
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said that he was landing the airplane on a grass airstrip when his left wheel impacted a hole, and the airplane deviated to the left. He applied full right rudder, but did not regain control of the airplane before it impacted trees. The right wing's leading edge spar was bent, the left main landing gear was folded back, the horizontal stabilizer was bent, and the empennage was wrinkled. The Sheriff reported that the pilot told him that he landed the airplane "too hard," and he lost control as it landed on the grassy runway. The Sheriff said that "the runway was safe from any hazards, and cleared of any debris." The owner of the runway did put some dirt in a hole the day after the accident. The Federal Aviation Administration inspector that examined the runway said that it appeared to be a "good grass airstrip."
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: 200 hours in all; 130 in this make and model; 130 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: June 15, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 550 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 15, 2003; 152 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,200 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912ULS (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ID25 Sandpoint ID
- Destination: ID25 Sandpoint ID
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16, 3,000 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 0 knots
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 97°F (36°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.87 inHg
- Observation at 2:50 am from SZT, 4 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N90TY the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 SEA04CA160.