Amateur-built Kitfox accident near Clatskanie, Oregon, March 20, 2018
On March 20, 2018 at about 8:15 pm local time, a 2014 amateur-built Kitfox, registered N925DP, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Clatskanie, Oregon. 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
A partial loss of engine power due to an improperly secured throttle cable set screw.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 20, 2018 · about 8:15 pm local time
- Place
- Clatskanie, Oregon · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Kitfox Super Spor, built 2014
- Registration
- N925DP · registry record · serial KA13063258
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airline transport pilot of the experimental, amateur-built airplane reported that, while flying about 800 ft above a river during a personal flight, he advanced the throttle to climb then the engine started to lose power. He elected to land on a nearby island, during which the airplane nosed over. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the throttle cable set screw on the aft side of the throttle body arm had backed out of its original position and was no longer securing the throttle cable. As a result, the cable moved freely with no corresponding motion on the throttle body arm. This would have also resulted in the pilot's inability to adjust the engine power from the cockpit throttle control. Maintenance records revealed that the pilot built and installed the throttle body arm about 7 months and 204 flight hours before the accident. In addition, a vernier-style throttle cable was installed about 6 months and 159 flight hours before the accident. It is likely that the set screw was improperly secured during one of the previous maintenance events and came loose during operation, which released its hold on the throttle cable.
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 engine power (partial) during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during enroute (cruise)
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine controls › Power lever › Malfunction
- factor Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Modification/alteration › Owner/builder
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 11,873 hours in all; 1,296 in this make and model; 74 in the last 90 days; 23 in the last 30 days; 9,901 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 8, 2016
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,296 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, May 10, 2017; 42 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,320 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912ULS (piston); 1,296 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PFC Pacific City OR at 7:00 pm
- Destination: VUO Vancouver WA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observation at 7:56 pm from KLS, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
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 WPR18LA111.