July 03, Sprakers, N.Y. / KitFox

At about 1830 eastern time, an unregistered KitFox airplane crashed in the traffic pattern at a private airstrip near Sprakers. The unlicensed pilot, who was killed, had just completed construction of the aircraft. A witness said they were performing taxi tests and fixed a minor squawk, after which the pilot said he was going to go for it. The airplane did four right traffic patterns, with rough engine sounds and severe pitch oscillations evident throughout. The first pattern was a low pass. The next two involved go-arounds after bounced landings. On the fourth the left wing hit the ground and the airplane stopped. They determined the wing was not damaged and adjusted the carburetor. The pilot then restarted the engine and took off again. He made five right traffic patterns, with the bank and pitch oscillations under better control and the engine running smoothly. The first pattern was a low pass. The next four were go-arounds after bounced landings. After the fourth, the airplane entered a steep climb, banked left 60 degrees and spun to the ground.