A Minnesota pilot escaped injury, but his home-built plane was destroyed when it crashed Monday afternoon near Boulder Municipal Airport.
The Kitfox Classic 4 experimental plane was being flown by Jason Patton, 37, of Albert Lea, Minn. He was able to get away from the wreckage unharmed before it was engulfed in flames.
Engine failure appeared to have forced down the 800-pound single-engine plane in a field near 57th Street and Woodbourne Hollow Road shortly after takeoff about 1 p.m., according to the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office.
The plane hit a field post with its left wing and spun around before coming to a stop, within yards of homes, sparking a small grass fire that was put out by firefighters.
The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the crash.
The kits to build the small sport plane cost about $19,000, says the manufacturer’s website. According to the website, “The Kitfox is a very safe aircraft and to date has never had an in-flight structural failure.”
