Amateur-built Kitfox V accident near Silverdale, Washington, August 11, 2007
On August 11, 2007 at about 9:22 pm local time, a amateur-built Kitfox V, registered N422NL, was substantially damaged in an accident near Silverdale, Washington (Apex Airpark airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed during takeoff initial climb, which resulted in an inadvertent stall and uncontrolled descent to terrain impact.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 11, 2007 · about 9:22 pm local time
- Place
- Silverdale, Washington · Apex Airpark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Kitfox V
- Registration
- N422NL · registry record · serial 94060032
- 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 on takeoff, about 30 feet agl and with an indicated airspeed of 54 mph, the airplane rolled left. "Full right stick did not immediately level the wings and the nose dropped thru horizontal." The airplane struck the ground "immediately west of the runway in a nearly flat attitude." The pilot commented that "a higher airspeed during climb out may have provided enough control authority to overcome the wind-induced left roll." The pilot reported the wind direction as variable, the wind speed as light and variable, and no wind gusts.
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; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 611 hours in all; 54 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912ULS (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: WA05 Silverdale WA
- Destination: WA05
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 35, 2,500 ft by 28 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.