Just As He Lifted The Airplane’s Tailwheel Off The Ground, The Airplane Immediately Turned Left And Departed The Side Of The Runway

Location: Palmyra, PA Accident Number: ERA24LA316
Date & Time: July 19, 2024, 14:30 Local Registration: N788KF
Aircraft: Sheaffer Leroy B Kitfox Model IV Injuries: 1 Fatal, 1 Minor
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal

On July 19, 2024, about 1430 eastern daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Kitfox Model IV, N788KF, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Palmyra, Pennsylvania. The pilot incurred minor injuries, and the pilot-rated passenger was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.

According to the pilot, during takeoff from a 40-ft-wide asphalt runway, and just as he lifted the airplane’s tailwheel off the ground, the airplane immediately turned left and departed the side of the runway. The airplane bounced hard and fractured the main landing gear before coming to rest in a corn field. The pilot stated that there was a right crosswind at the time of the attempted departure.

Examination of the wreckage by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed substantial damage to the fuselage, empennage, and left wing.

The passenger was seriously injured during the accident and succumbed to his injuries 8 days later. 

FMI: www.ntsb.gov