Polit Kitfox Ser 5 Outback accident near Apple Valley, CA
On May 23, 2009, a Polit Kitfox Ser 5 Outback (airplane) was involved in an accident near Apple Valley, CA. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- May 23, 2009
- Place
- Apple Valley, CA
- Aircraft
- Polit Kitfox Ser 5 Outback · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 34.575°N, 117.186°W
- NTSB ID
- 20090526X34232
Official records · WPR09LA264
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On May 23, 2009, about 0745 Pacific daylight time, an experimental Polit Kitfox Ser 5 Outback, N781VP, crashed shortly after takeoff from Apple Valley Airport (APV), Apple Valley, California. The pilot/owner operated the airplane under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal local area flight. The pilot was killed, and the airplane was substantially damaged. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, and no flight plan had been filed. Several firefighters assigned to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Apple Valley station, about 1/4 mile southeast of the accident site, witnessed the accident. They noticed it because it was flying about 200 to 300 feet above the ground. It was traveling in a northwest direction, which was not the normal pattern for landing airplanes. The witnesses reported that the airplane appeared to stall and then bank to the left, followed by the airplane's nose dropping before it impacted the ground. The firefighters reported that the airplane was starting to spin prior to ground impact. They were not able to determine whether the airplane's engine was running because of the sound from a nearby operating fire truck. The mechanic, who performed the last annual inspection, reported that on several occasions he had spoken with the accident pilot about flying with him; the mechanic was also a pilot. The accident pilot had told him he was uneasy flying the accident airplane alone because he had not flown it recently. The mechanic stated to the deputy coroner from the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Depart
Probable cause
The pilot's loss of aircraft control for undetermined reasons while maneuvering at low altitude.
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Browse: California
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
