Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed while maneuvering at a low altitude, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
NTSB analysis
A witness stated that he heard an airplane approaching his house; the airplane was about 200 feet above the trees. It made a left turn next to a creek and reversed its course. The airplane reversed its course again, and was observed above the creek coming back towards his home. The witness observed the fuselage of the airplane swaying from left to right and as well as the airplane making a steep left turn. He observed that the left wing of the airplane was perpendicular to the ground and the ground speed of the airplane appeared to be slow. The airplane continued in the steep left turn, reversed its course again, and leveled out. The wings on the airplane were observed to wobble, and the nose of the airplane pitched down. The airplane collided with the ground in a nose-down attitude and came to rest upright. The witness reported no change in engine noise during the accident sequence. No evidence of any preimpact anomalies was noted with the airframe, flight controls, or engine assembly and accessories.
Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA09LA250 for the full record.
Event
- Date
- Apr 18, 2009
- Type
- Accident
- Place
- Dubre, Kentucky
- Highest injury
- Fatal
- Fatal injuries
- 1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC)
- Light
- Dawn
Amateur-built Kitfox
- N-number
- N191KF
- Category
- Airplane
- Damage
- Substantial
- Operating rule
- Part 91 (general aviation)
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
From the NTSB aviation accident database: N-registered aircraft, events since 2008, data through Oct 28, 2026. The file is published monthly, so the latest weeks are incomplete and recent records can change. The official source is the NTSB aviation investigation search. CheckAero is independent and not affiliated with the NTSB.