Home-built aircraft are dangerous. Special guest Miles O'Brien joins Todd Curtis and John Goglia to discuss an August 2023 crash of a Kit Fox Model 3 aircraft that seriously injured the pilot.
The FAA's approach to home-built aircraft allows owners to build their aircraft with little or no direct oversight. The accident rate is more than two times higher than general aviation aircraft.
The pilot did not have a current FAA medical certification or a current endorsement to operate an aircraft as a single pilot. According to the maintenance documentation, in the eight years prior to the accident, the pilot had fewer than three hours of flight time.
Home-built aircraft have advantages such as lower cost of ownership. Kit built aircraft have grown in popularity as more manufacturers enter the market. There are even high schools that build kit aircraft for resale as part of their educational programs.
The safety risks are high. Kit aircraft are certified as experimental aircraft by the FAA. Some have modifications that would not be allowed on other kinds of general aviation aircraft. Little more than a driver’s license is needed to pilot one of these aircraft.
Related documents are available at the Flight Safety Detectives website.
Don’t miss what’s to come from the Flight Safety Detectives - subscribe to the Flight Safety Detectives YouTube channel, listen at your favorite podcast service and visit the Flight Safety Detectives website.
Music: “Inspirational Sports” license ASLC-22B89B29-052322DDB8
Bad Pilot Decisions Kill - Episode 220
Witnessing Excellence at the 2024 AMC Competition in Chicago - Episode 219
The Laura Taber Barbour Foundation Legacy in Aviation Safety - Episode 218
Navigating the Risks of Post-Maintenance Flights - Episode 217
Stall Warning Flight Test Turns Disastrous - Episode 216
Photo Shoot Model Struck by Aircraft Wing - Episode 215
Stall and Spin Maneuvers Lead to Fatal Cessna 172 Crash - Episode 213
Two New Aviation Safety Incidents Involving Boeing Planes - Episode 212
eVTOL Safety – Episode 211
Challenger 604 Roadway Emergency Landing Mistakes – Episode 210
Pilots in Helicopter Crash Repeat Errors in Kobe Bryant Crash - Episode 209
Declaring an In-Flight Emergency Can Save Your Life – Episode 208
Conspiracy Theories Surrounding Jenni Rivera Plane Crash– Episode 207
Plane Crash Caused by Pilot's Poor Decisions and Lack of Aircraft Understanding – Episode 206
Bad Decisions Take Airplanes Out of the Sky – Episode 205
Accident or Conspiracy? Singer Jenni Rivera Lear 25 Accident Examined – Episode 204
Singer Jenni Rivera’s Fatal Plane Crash Examined – Episode 203
Alaska Airlines Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 737 MAX 9 Update – Episode 202
JAL Flight 516 Crash Factors Emerge– Episode 201
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Aviation News Talk podcast
Opposing Bases: Air Traffic Talk
Fighter Pilot Podcast
”There I was...” An Aviation Podcast
Pilot to Pilot - Aviation Podcast