Kraft AIR MASTER accident near Katy, TX
On July 25, 1996, a Kraft AIR MASTER (airplane) was involved in an accident near Katy, TX. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- July 25, 1996
- Place
- Katy, TX
- Aircraft
- Kraft AIR MASTER · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 29.751°N, 95.740°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001208X06237
NTSB summary
On July 25, 1996, at 0930 central daylight time, a Kraft Air Master home built airplane, N222Y, owned and operated by a private owner, was destroyed during an emergency landing following a loss of engine power near Katy, Texas. The student pilot and pilot rated passenger were fatally injured. The flight was operating under Title 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight, and a flight plan was not filed. The flight originated from the West Houston Airport, Houston, Texas, about one hour and 45 minutes before the accident. Witnesses reported to a FAA inspector that the airplane was experiencing "engine problems." During the attempted forced landing, the airplane struck power lines and a fence, separating the tail section from the main fuselage. The pilot-in-command was the designer and builder of the prototype experimental airplane, and he did not possess a valid medical certificate or pilot's certificate with appropriate ratings at the time of the accident. He was denied a third class medical certificate in 1993 because of diabetes. At the time of his application for a medical certificate, he listed his total civilian flight time as 70 hours. At the time of the accident, the registered owner estimated that he had approximately 150 hours of flight time. The purpose of the flight was to familiarize the pilot rated passenger with the airplane, which he was considering purchasing. The pilot rated passenger was issued a private pilot certificate on July 30, 1978. His last biennial flight review was on December 22, 1994. At the time of his
Probable cause
the pilot's improper positioning of the fuel tank selector, which resulted in fuel starvation, loss of engine power, and a forced landing. The lack of suitable terrain for a forced landing was a related factor.
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Browse: Texas
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
