Harter Kitfox Classic accident near Sedona, AZ
On August 29, 2001, a Harter Kitfox Classic (airplane) was involved in an accident near Sedona, AZ. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- August 29, 2001
- Place
- Sedona, AZ
- Aircraft
- Harter Kitfox Classic · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 34.940°N, 111.941°W
- NTSB ID
- 20010901X01850
NTSB summary
On August 29, 2001, at 1215 hours mountain standard time, an experimental Harter Kitfox Classic, N46MH, impacted terrain while attempting to reverse course in Fox Canyon near Sedona, Arizona. The private certificated pilot, the sole occupant, was fatally injured and the amateur built aircraft was destroyed. The local area personal flight, operated by the owner under 14 CFR Part 91, departed from Sedona at 1130. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. A second pilot in another Kitfox airplane flew in loose formation with the accident aircraft for the first time on the day of the accident. The second pilot would later witness the accident. He reported that the trip of the pilot involved in the accident originated on the east coast, and that he had flown to a Kitfox enthusiast's meeting at the Kitfox factory in Caldwell, Idaho. From there he flew to Cameron Park, Placerville, and Death Valley, all in California, before continuing to Chandler, Arizona, where he spent the night of August 28th at the second pilot's home. The second pilot said that the accident pilot's Kitfox was a Classic IV 1200 model (1,200-pound gross weight) and, whereas most Kitfox's have a Rotax 912 engine, this one had a heavier Subaru EA-81 engine. He said that the Kitfox involved in the accident had a "full panel" of instruments and radios and was equipped for instrument flight. The pilot told him that, with the heavier engine and instrumentation, he was "over gross" with himself, baggage, and fuel onboard. The pilot built his Kitfox in 1999, and said he had flown it more
Probable cause
The failure of the pilot to initiate a course reversal in a timely manner after flying into a box canyon and his failure to maintain airspeed during the attempted course reversal, which resulted in a stall spin.
More accidents in AZ
- De Havilland DHC-6-300, Sep 27, 1989
- Cessna 402C, Jun 19, 1992
- Piper PA-31-350, Aug 17, 1983
- Piper PA-31-350, Feb 13, 1995
- Cessna 421C, Sep 2, 1995
Browse: Arizona
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
