The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped Kitfox S5 intended to spend the day practicing takeoffs and landings at multiple remote backcountry sites with a group of three other similar airplanes.
He practiced at the airport in Rigby, Idaho, before the other group arrived and reported that those flights were normal.
The group then departed for the first intended destination, which was a flat landing site surrounded by tall grass and brush. Those landings were uneventful, so the group decided to proceed to another landing spot near Ririe, Idaho.
This landing area appeared wider and flatter than the previous, however the grass was taller and thicker, so the ground was obscured.
The first airplane landed uneventfully. The Kitfox pilot decided that rather than landing he would perform a touch-and-go, with the wheels touching the grass so he could assess the conditions.
As he began to flare the airplane, he decided that it was safe to proceed with a full-stop landing. As the wheels touched the ground, it became apparent that the surface was much rougher than he anticipated, and the airplane bounced after the main wheels touched two large rocks 200 feet into the ground roll.
He retracted the flaperons and as the airplane decelerated the nose began to drop, even though he was holding the control stick full aft.
The pilot told investigators that he was likely inadvertently applying brake pressure as he pushed against the rudder pedals to pull back further on the control stick, and that this may have exacerbated the pitch down motion. The airplane then nosed over.
The airplane came to rest inverted and sustained substantial damage to both wing struts and multiple wing ribs.
Probable Cause: The pilot’s inadvertent excessive use of brakes which resulted in a nose-over.
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This November 2023 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.
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