Vance Brand Municipal Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Longmont, Colorado 80503
Thursday, June 22, 1995 20:15 MDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

WITNESSES SAID THE ENGINE LOST POWER SHORTLY AFTER LIFTOFF AT 100 TO 200 FEET ALTITUDE AND THE PILOT BANKED RIGHT IN AN APPARENT ATTEMPT TO MAKE A FORCED LANDING IN A GRASSY FIELD. ONE WITNESS SAID THE AIRPLANE STALLED AND SPUN BEFORE COLLIDING WITH TERRAIN. ANOTHER WITNESS OBSERVED PREVIOUS FLIGHTS AND SAID THE ENGINE WOULD LOSE POWER AFTER TAKEOFF BUT THE PILOT WOULD LAND ON THE REMAINING RUNWAY. ENGINE EXAMINATION DISCLOSED TIGHT METAL TIES BINDING THE FUEL LINE AGAINST THE STRUCTURE. THE VACUUM-OPERATED FUEL PUMP WAS MOUNTED ON FLEXIBLE PLASTIC STRIPS, ALLOWING IT TO VIBRATE. PERSONNEL WHO EXAMINED THE WRECKAGE REPORTED THAT THIS COULD CAUSE THE PUMP TO CAVITATE. THE PILOT HAD LOGGED 1.6 HOURS IN THE AIRPLANE 10 MONTHS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN FLYING SPEED, RESULTING IN AN INADVERTENT STALL WHILE ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A FORCED LANDING. FACTORS WERE THE PILOT'S LACK OF TOTAL EXPERIENCE IN AIRPLANE MAKE/MODEL, IMPROPER MAINTENANCE OF THE AIRPLANE, AND OPERATION OF THE AIRPLANE WITH UNIDENTIFIED DEFICIENCIES IN EQUIPMENT.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 6/22/1995
Event Day of the Week Thursday
Time of Event 2015
Event Time Zone Mountain Daylight Time
Event City LONGMONT
Event State COLORADO
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 80503
Event Date Year 1995
Event Date Month 6
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport VANCE BRAND MUNICIPAL
Event Location Nearest Airport ID 2V2
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport On Airport
Distance from airport in statute miles --
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation 5052
Weather Briefing Completeness Not pertinent
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1954 Mountain Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 165
Weather Observation Facility ID BJC
Elevation of weather observation facility 5671
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 16
Time Zone of the weather observation MDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 18000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 6000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 40
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 21
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 9
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 200
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 4
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) 7457
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal 1
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 447
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jun 22 1995 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 2108
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 7 2000 4:20PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N4093F
NTSB Number FTW95LA257
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name ROCKY MOUNTAIN
Aircraft Model BUCCANEER 11 B2B
Aircraft Series Identifier BUCCANEER
Aircraft Serial Number B2B-K039
Certified Max Gross Weight 1025
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? Yes
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 2
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Unknown
Date of Last Inspection Apr 25 1995 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed No
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name ROCKY MOUNTAIN FLYGH
Aircraft Owner Street Address 1630 30TH ST., SUITE A125
Aircraft Owner City BOULDER
Aircraft Owner State CO
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 80301
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address
Operator City
Operator State
Operator Country
Operator Zip code
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Personal
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code 2V2
Departure City
Departure State CO
Departure Country
Departure Time 2015
Departure Time Zone MDT
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Emergency landing
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:34AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --