Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Dillard Ranch Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Centerville, Texas 77598
Saturday, April 28, 2007 18:00 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The 80-horsepower engine on the single-engine experimental airplane lost power during the initial takeoff climb from runway 06. The 133-hour private pilot added that the engine began sputtering and running rough during the initial climb. The pilot added that he tried to pull the choke and alter the throttle settings in an attempt to regain engine power, to no avail. The pilot initiated a forced landing to a nearby clearing; however, the pilot did not have sufficient altitude and the airplane landed in trees. The airplane came to rest suspended in trees in a near vertical nose low attitude. The pilot was able to exit the airplane without injuries. Post-accident inspection of the engine revealed that the carburetor rubber flange coupler had failed, which resulted in the reported loss of engine power. The pilot added that the coupler (part number 267788) needs to have Kevlar material added in the injection mold process to prevent similar mishaps. The airplane sustained structural damage to both wings. The longeron and horizontal stabilizer were both bent. The airplane and engine were reported to have accumulated a total of 275-hours since new. The weather at the nearest weather reporting station located approximately 29 miles to the north north-east of the accident site reported calm winds, clear skies, and 20-statute mile visibility.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The loss of engine power due to the failure of the air induction ducting. A contributing factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 4/28/2007 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1800 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Centerville |
| Event State | TEXAS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 77598 |
| Event Date Year | 2007 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 311817N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0954747W |
| Event Location Airport | Dillard Ranch Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | TE01 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 1 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 225 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1700 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 9 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KPSN |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | -- |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 29 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| 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) | 20 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 16 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | -- |
| Wind Speed (knots) | -- |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| 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) | 21713 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | Apr 28 2007 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 27 2007 1:15PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\lema |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Houston, Texas |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N674F |
| NTSB Number | DFW07CA098 |
| 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 | Flagg |
| Aircraft Model | Kitfox IV |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 1674 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1050 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| 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 | Conditional |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jul 1 2006 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 275 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Marwynne Kuhn |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Webster |
| Aircraft Owner State | TX |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 77598 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | -- |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Webster |
| Operator State | TX |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 77598 |
| 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 | TE01 |
| Departure City | Centerville |
| Departure State | TX |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1800 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | 0TE4 |
| Destination City | -- |
| Destination State | -- |
| Destination Country | -- |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Takeoff - initial climb |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 30 2007 2:35PM |
| User who most recently changed record | CASH |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 06 |
| Runway Length | 3100 |
| Runway Width | 90 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |