On March 2, 2019, a Kitfox XL4 sustained minor damage when it hit Sykes Creek during a rejected landing at Merritt Island Airport (KCOI) in Florida. The commercial pilot was seriously injured in the crash.
The pilot told investigators that he bounced on landing and the airplane veered to the left. He applied full power to go-around and the airplane “went sharply to the right” and hit the water. The plane sunk in about eight feet of water before the pilot was able to release the seatbelt/shoulder harness and float to the surface. He did not recall anything after that.
A witness, who was a flight instructor, observed the accident from an airplane on the hold short line for Runway 29. He saw the Kitfox turn onto the final approach leg of the traffic pattern and make a stable approach to the runway. The flight instructor turned away for a moment, but when he looked back up, the airplane was in a 90° right bank flying perpendicular to the runway. The right-wing tip was about 10 feet from the ground as the airplane veered toward the water. The right-wing tip hit the water first, which resulted in the nose of the airplane pitching down under the water and submerging the cabin.
Another witness was fishing on his boat with his son when he first observed the airplane. He said the airplane bounced while landing and then climbed about 15 to 25 feet before making a sharp right bank. The airplane then crashed nose first into the water. The witness and his son immediately responded, lifted the pilot on to their boat, and successfully revived him with CPR before rescue personnel arrived.
A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed minor damage to the left-wing tip, engine cowling, and the propeller.
The pilot, 89, told an FAA inspector that his flying skills had diminished and that he lost control of the airplane.
Probable Cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain airplane control during an attempted go-around.
This March 2019 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
