Amateur-built Kitfox accident near Diamond Springs, California, August 30, 2007
On August 30, 2007 at about 1:30 pm local time, a amateur-built Kitfox, registered N96KL, was substantially damaged in an accident near Diamond Springs, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Oil starvation during climb due to an unidentified piece of plastic material blocking an oil supply tube and the pilot's inadequate maintenance of the lubricating system. Contributing to the accident was the rough terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 30, 2007 · about 1:30 pm local time
- Place
- Diamond Springs, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Kitfox
- Registration
- N96KL · no longer on the register · serial CCU-008
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After takeoff and during the initial climb the pilot observed a higher than normal engine temperature, followed by a zero oil pressure reading. Although the engine continued to run without interruption, the pilot elected to make a precautionary landing in a field clearing, which resulted in substantial damage to the airplane. The oil tank was disassembled during a post-accident examination of the engine and a foreign object, composed of a plastic material, was found plugged in the pickup portion of the oil supply tube. The pilot said that he had performed an engine oil change 5 days prior to the accident, and that during the oil change, he had disassembled and then reassembled the oil tank. The pilot reported that he did not know what the foreign object was or how it came to be lodged in the oil supply tube.
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: 1,060 hours in all; 900 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days; 1,040 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 905 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, March 1, 2007; 905 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,200 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912 UL (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: O61 Cameron Park CA at 1:20 pm
- Destination: S66 Homedale ID
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°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.