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BFO95LA099

1995-09-28 · YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport 4G4

Current FAA registration · N122DP

Make / Model
KITFOX KITFOX SPEEDSTER
Year of manufacture
1995 · 0 years old at event
Engine
ROTAX 912UL (80 hp)
Seats / Engines
2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
20190405
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A05B79

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

the pilot's failure to maintain directional control of the airplane during the takeoff roll. A related factor was the pilot's lack of familiarity with the aircraft while carrying a passenger.

Factual narrative

On September 28, 1995, at 1730 eastern daylight time, a DeAngelo Kitfox Speedster, N122DP, piloted by the owner/operator, sustained substantial damage when it veered off the left side of runway 28 during the takeoff roll at Youngstown Elser Metro Airport, in Youngstown, Ohio. The pilot and one passenger, the sole occupants, reported no injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local flight, no flight plan was filed. The flight operated under 14 CFR Part 91. The pilot stated that, on the morning of the flight he had just completed his "...40 hours of solo time..." and he was taking his first passenger for a ride. The pilot reported that, "...as I began the takeoff roll the plane started to go slightly left." The pilot remarked that, he "...apparently over controlled [and] the plane ground looped... ." The pilot stated that the winds were calm, and that the "...entire 'flight' took approximately 5 to 10 seconds." The pilot reported that he had just '...completed my 40 hours of solo time...' and was making his first flight with a passenger when the accident occurred. The pilot stated that he '...began the take off roll [and] the plane started to go slightly left. I apparently over controlled [the airplane and] the plane ground looped.... ' The pilot stated that his unfamiliarity with the 'possible quirks' of the airplane, and the additional weight in the airplane may have been factors in this accident. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1995_BFO95LA099.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.