Amateur-built KITFOX IV accident near Vancouver, Washington, June 27, 2012
On June 27, 2012 at about 11:07 pm local time, a 1996 amateur-built KITFOX IV, registered N645GR, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Vancouver, Washington (Pearson Field Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed during an attempt to return to the runway immediately after takeoff, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall. Contributing to the accident was foreign debris in the right-hand carburetor bowl, which precipitated a loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 27, 2012 · about 11:07 pm local time
- Place
- Vancouver, Washington · Pearson Field Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built KITFOX IV, built 1996
- Registration
- N645GR · no longer on the register · serial 1700
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Shortly after the airplane took off, a witness heard sounds indicative of an engine problem. The airplane started to make a controlled turn back to the runway; however, it subsequently experienced an aerodynamic stall and crashed at a 45-degree nose-down attitude. The airplane's annual inspection had been completed the week before the accident and the accident flight appeared to be the first flight after the inspection. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed an orange rubber-like debris in the right-hand carburetor bowl. The debris was similar to the RTV fire sleeve material used to insulate the fuel lines that resided in the airplane's engine compartment. How the orange rubber/RTV material came to reside in the carburetor bowl could not be determined; however, foreign material in the carburetor bowl could block a carburetor main jet, resulting in a partial to complete loss of engine power.
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
- Loss of control in flight during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
- Loss of engine power (total) during initial climb defining event
The NTSB's findings
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine fuel and control › Fuel control/carburetor › Not specified
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 415 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 5,800 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 475 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 14, 2012; 0 hours since
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912UL (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KVUO Vancouver WA
- Destination: KVUO Vancouver WA
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 26, 3,275 ft by 60 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.92 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from KVOU
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | 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.