Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Caldwell Industrial Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Caldwell, Idaho 83814
Saturday, June 5, 2004 10:30 MDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot reported that he accomplished his normal run-up and control checks prior to takeoff. The pilot stated that as the aircraft was accelerating during the takeoff ground roll, he suddenly could not feel the usual back-pressure on the elevator control. The pilot checked the manual trim and confirmed that it was in the takeoff position and as he was about to reduce power to abort the takeoff, the "...plane catapulted up in the air at a high angle of attack, without pitch control input from me." The pilot stated that he immediately put the manual pitch trim control in a nose-down range and the airplane responded "violently." The pilot continued to manipulate the elevator trim as the aircraft oscillated three to four times before gradually attaining a more level attitude. The aircraft landed hard and flat on the remaining runway, subsequently breaking the nose gear wheel, and damaging the propeller and main gear. Further damage included buckled floor boards and structural damage to the fuselage. Post-accident inspection of the airplane found that the connecting bolt between the pitch control assembly and the pitch rod (to the elevator) had come off. The bolt was located, however, the self-locking castle nut with a nylon insert which the pilot stated that he used to secure the bolt was not located.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The disconnection of the elevator pitch control assembly and the pitch rod during the takeoff as a result of an unsecured bolt.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/5/2004 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1030 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Daylight Time |
| Event City | Caldwell |
| Event State | IDAHO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 83814 |
| Event Date Year | 2004 |
| Event Date Month | 6 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | -- |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | -- |
| Event Location Latitude | 433851N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1163851W |
| Event Location Airport | Caldwell Industrial |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | EUL |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 2431 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1035 Mountain Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | EUL |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 2431 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 26 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 11 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 140 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.89 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 16622 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Inspector Boise, ID |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jun 10 2004 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 809 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 28 2004 10:11AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Boise, Idaho |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N1852N |
| NTSB Number | SEA04LA103 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | D'Amico |
| Aircraft Model | Kitfox Series 7 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | S60111-074 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1550 |
| 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 24 2004 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 10 |
| Airframe Hours | 10 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Michael J. D'Amico |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Boise |
| Aircraft Owner State | ID |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 83712 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| 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? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| 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 | EUL |
| Departure City | Caldwell |
| Departure State | ID |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1030 |
| Departure Time Zone | MDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | EUL |
| Destination City | -- |
| Destination State | -- |
| Destination Country | -- |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Takeoff - initial climb |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 24 2004 6:47PM |
| User who most recently changed record | STAM |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 12 |
| Runway Length | 5500 |
| Runway Width | 100 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |