Waunakee Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Waunakee, Wisconsin 53597
Monday, March 1, 1999 17:10 CST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

As the airplane was turning base to final the pilot, 'felt a bump and vibration in the control stick...' when he commanded a final nose-up trim adjustment. The pilot reported that the remainder of the approach to the runway was uneventful. The pilot stated that, 'When I went to flare for the landing I did not have any pitch control.' The pilot reported that the airplane landed very hard and bounced back into the air in a nose high orientation. The pilot reported that during the hard landing the seat broke from its mounts and fell onto the flaperon control tube, inhibiting flaperon actuation. The pilot stated that the airplane then 'Stalled', landed tail first on the runway, ground looped, and came to rest with the right wingtip and the tail touching the ground. Post accident examination of the aircraft showed that the trim actuator was fractured at its attachment point to the airframe.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

the fracture of the trim actuator.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 3/1/1999
Event Day of the Week Monday
Time of Event 1710
Event Time Zone Central Standard Time
Event City WAUNAKEE
Event State WISCONSIN
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 53597
Event Date Year 1999
Event Date Month 3
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport WAUNAKEE AIRPORT
Event Location Nearest Airport ID WI06
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport On Airport
Distance from airport in statute miles --
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation 950
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1653 Central Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 120
Weather Observation Facility ID MSN
Elevation of weather observation facility 862
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 6
Time Zone of the weather observation CST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 8000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 6500
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 0
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 5
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) -5
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 220
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 4
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) 26
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury None
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None 2
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 238
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Mar 1 1999 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1946
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 12 2000 11:26AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N394GL
NTSB Number CHI99LA099
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name Calkins
Aircraft Model KITFOX 5
Aircraft Series Identifier KITFOX 5
Aircraft Serial Number 59404-0021
Certified Max Gross Weight 1400
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? Yes
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 2
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Jun 30 1998 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 34
Airframe Hours 104
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name GENE M. CALKINS
Aircraft Owner Street Address 4021 WEST CEMETARY ROAD
Aircraft Owner City JANESVILLE
Aircraft Owner State WI
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 53545
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address
Operator City
Operator State
Operator Country
Operator Zip code
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Personal
Second Pilot on Board Yes
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code WI06
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 1640
Departure Time Zone CST
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight --
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:30AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 27
Runway Length 2230
Runway Width 30
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --