Pruss Richard S KITFOX IV accident near De Smet, SD
On June 7, 2016, a Pruss Richard S KITFOX IV (airplane) was involved in an accident near De Smet, SD. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- June 7, 2016
- Place
- De Smet, SD
- Aircraft
- Pruss Richard S KITFOX IV · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 1 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 44.286°N, 97.459°W
- NTSB ID
- 20160607X80345
Official records · CEN16FA209
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On June 7, 2016, about 1020 central daylight time, an amateur-built Kitfox IV single-engine airplane, N921RP, impacted a lake following a loss of control while maneuvering at a low altitude near De Smet, South Dakota. The private pilot sustained fatal injuries, the passenger sustained serious injuries, and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot as a 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and a flight plan was not filed. The local flight departed from Lake Preston Municipal Airport (Y34), Lake Preston, South Dakota, about 0929. According to the passenger, who held a student pilot certificate and was interviewed by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, the pilot picked him up at Y34 to assist in a search for a boat that sank in Lake Thompson on June 3, 2016. The pilot and passenger spotted the boat and then flew a right "racetrack" pattern about 150 ft above ground level. While maneuvering, the airplane was banked about 45 to 60 degrees at an airspeed of about 50 miles per hour. During one of the turns, the airplane "snapped over" and the pilot told the passenger that the airplane stalled. The airplane spun about 1.5 to 2 rotations, impacted the lake, and sank. The passenger stated the engine operated normally until the impact with the water. According to local authorities, the passenger was rescued by persons assisting in the boat recovery. Efforts to rescue the pilot were unsuccessful. PERSONNEL
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed and his exceedance of the airplane's critical angle-of-attack during a steep turn at a low altitude, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall/spin at too low of an altitude to recover.
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Browse: South Dakota
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
