ERA19TA114

Factual narrative

On March 2, 2019, at 0918 eastern standard time, an experimental amateur-built Kitfox XL4, N93XL, sustained minor damage when it impacted Sykes Creek during a rejected landing at the Merritt Island Airport (COI), Merritt Island, Florida. The commercial pilot was seriously injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local personal flight that originated at COI at 0900. The pilot stated 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 impacted the water. The pilot said the airplane sank in about 8 ft of water before he 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 accident airplane 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 ft from the ground as the airplane veered toward the water. The right-wing tip struck 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 ft 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 told a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector that his flying skills had diminished and that he lost control of the airplane. He reported there were no mechanical problems that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane or engine at the time of the accident. The pilot, age 89, held a commercial pilot certificate with a rating for airplane single-engine land. His last FAA third-class medical was issued on March 22, 2010. The pilot reported a total of 5,000 flight hours, of which, 50 hours were in the accident airplane. Weather reported at Patrick Air Force Base, Cocoa Beach, Florida, about 9 miles southeast of the accident site, at 0856, was wind 250° at 4 knots, visibility 10 miles, clear skies, temperature 23°, dew point 21°, and an altimeter setting of 30.14 inches of mercury. The pilot stated that the airplane bounced on landing and then veered to the left. He applied full power and attempted to go around, but the airplane banked sharply to the right and impacted a creek adjacent to the runway. The pilot sustained serious injuries, and the airplane sustained minor damage to the left wing tip, engine cowling, and propeller. The pilot said that his flying skills had diminished and that he lost control of the airplane. He also said there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane or engine that would have precluded normal operation at the time of the accident. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

• C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-(general)-Not attained/maintained - C
• C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C