Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Vero Beach, Florida 32960
Tuesady, July 28, 1992 19:00 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

PILOT STATED ENGINE QUIT WHILE MAKING A RIGHT DOWNWIND DEPARTURE. A FORCED LANDING WAS MADE IN A GROVE OF TREES AND THE LEFT WING STRUCK A TREE DURING ROLLOUT. AFTER THE ACCIDENT THE ENGINE WAS STARTED IN THE PRESENCE OF AN FAA INSPECTOR. THE ENGINE RAN ROUGH FOR A FEW MOMENTS AFTER STARTING AND THEN OPERATED NORMALLY. THE PILOT STATED HE FOUND DIRT IN THE AIRFRAME AND ENGINE FUEL SYSTEM.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

FAILURE OF THE ENGINE DUE TO FUEL CONTAMINATION RESULTING IN A FORCED LANDING IN A GROVE AT WHICH TIME THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK TREES.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 7/28/1992
Event Day of the Week Tuesday
Time of Event 1900
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City VERO BEACH
Event State FLORIDA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 32960
Event Date Year 1992
Event Date Month 7
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport
Event Location Nearest Airport ID
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1855 Eastern Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 45
Weather Observation Facility ID VRB
Elevation of weather observation facility 25
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 7
Time Zone of the weather observation EDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 3500
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 10
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 31
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 23
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 130
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 10
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) 1600
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 1
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 2395
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jul 28 1992 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 2000
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 47107
Date of most recent change to record Dec 11 2000 3:05PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N70629
NTSB Number MIA92LA155
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name DEWITT, RICHARD A.
Aircraft Model KITFOX
Aircraft Series Identifier KITFOX
Aircraft Serial Number 69
Certified Max Gross Weight --
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 Apr 11 1992 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 2
Airframe Hours 262
ELT Installed Unknown
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name KIRBY, FLOYD D.
Aircraft Owner Street Address 133 QUEENS ROAD
Aircraft Owner City FT. PIERCE
Aircraft Owner State FL
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 34949
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name KIRBY, FLOYD D.
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address 133 QUEENS ROAD
Operator City FT. PIERCE
Operator State FL
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 34949
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 No
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 1850
Departure Time Zone EDT
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 Landing
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:35AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --