Amateur-built KITFOX SPEEDSTER accident near Shelton, Washington, January 21, 2022
On January 21, 2022 at about 10:00 pm local time, a 1996 amateur-built KITFOX SPEEDSTER, registered N139KF, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Shelton, Washington (Sanderson Field). 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 directional control during the landing roll.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 21, 2022 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Shelton, Washington · Sanderson Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built KITFOX SPEEDSTER, built 1996
- Registration
- N139KF · registry record · serial KCS139
- 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 while landing his amateur built tailwheel equipped airplane, he experienced a ground loop to the left. Subsequently the right main wheel fell inside of a hole. The pilot stated the impact with the hole removed the right wheel causing structural damage to the right-side of the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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 on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Landing gear collapse during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,132 hours in all; 1 in this make and model; 663 in the last 90 days; 29 in the last 30 days; 3,012 as pilot in command; 2,668 on instruments
- Last flight review: January 3, 2021
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,150 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 1, 2021
- Maximum gross weight: 1,200 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912ULS (piston); 25 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KSHN Shelton WA at 10:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 23, 5,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,600 ft; clear
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.62 inHg
- Observation at 2:00 pm from KSHN
Weather report (METAR): SA 21/01/2022 20:53-> METAR KSHN 212053Z AUTO VRB03KT 10SM OVC007 07/05 A3062 RMK AO2 SLP373 T00670050 58008=
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 WPR22LA082.