Centennial Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Englewood, Colorado 80110
Monday, August 14, 1995 8:42 MDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

DURING TAKEOFF ON A MOUNTAIN FLYING INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT, THE AIRCRAFT (WITH A FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR & 2 PILOTS ABOARD) LIFTED OFF ABOUT HALFWAY DOWN THE 4903' RUNWAY. HOWEVER, AFTER LIFT-OFF, IT FAILED TO CLIMB SUFFICIENTLY TO CLEAR THE PERIMETER FENCE, WHICH WAS ON HIGHER TERRAIN ABOUT 1560' FROM THE RUNWAY. THE FENCE WAS AT AN ELEVATION OF ABOUT 60' ABOVE THE END OF THE RUNWAY. THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST IN A FIELD ABOUT 140' FROM THE FENCE. NO AIRCRAFT OR SYSTEM FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS FOUND. THERE WAS EVIDENCE THAT THE FUEL BOOST PUMP WAS ON DURING TAKEOFF (ALTHOUGH THE ENGINE DRIVEN PUMP WAS OPERATING NORMALLY). DURING A TEST RUN, THE ENGINE OPERATED NORMALLY WITH THE BOOST PUMP OFF. WITH THE BOOST PUMP AT LOW BOOST, THERE WAS A 500 TO 700 RPM LOSS OF RPM; AT HIGH BOOST, THE ENGINE QUIT RUNNING. THE LOCATION AND DESIGN OF THE BOOST PUMP SWITCH WAS NON-STANDARD HAVING BEEN MOVED DURING AN STC AIRCRAFT ALTERATION. THE SWITCH WAS LOCATED NEXT TO THE THROTTLE, WHERE IT COULD BE INADVERTENTLY OPERATED, AND IT HAD NO SAFEGUARD TO PREVENT SUCH OPERATION. INVESTIGATION ALSO REVEALED THAT THERE WERE NO LEANING PROCEDURES INCORPORATED IN THE PILOT MANUAL. THE INSTRUCTOR (CFI) HAD BRIEFED THE PILOTS TO LEAN THE ENGINE BY USING THE RPM. THE MANUFACTURER REPORTED THAT THE ENGINE COULD NOT BE PROPERLY LEANED BY USING THE RPM GAUGE, SINCE IT WAS EQUIPPED WITH A CONSTANT SPEED PROPELLER.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

INADVERTENT ACTIVATION OF THE FUEL BOOST PUMP BY EITHER THE PILOT (WHO WAS BEING INSTRUCTED) OR BY THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR (CFI). FACTORS RELATING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE BRIEFING OF IMPROPER LEANING PROCEDURES BY THE CFI, LOCATION OF THE BOOST PUMP SWITCH NEXT TO THE THROTTLE WITHOUT A SAFEGUARD TO PREVENT ITS INADVERTENT OPERATION, AND THE CFI'S LACK OF FAMILIARITY WITH THIS AIRPLANE.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 8/14/1995
Event Day of the Week Monday
Time of Event 842
Event Time Zone Mountain Daylight Time
Event City ENGLEWOOD
Event State COLORADO
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 80110
Event Date Year 1995
Event Date Month 8
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport CENTENNIAL
Event Location Nearest Airport ID APA
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 5883
Weather Briefing Completeness Partial - limited by pilot
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 845 Mountain Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 280
Weather Observation Facility ID APA
Elevation of weather observation facility 5883
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 2
Time Zone of the weather observation MDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 12000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
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) 17
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 12
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 100
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 10
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) 7000
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury None
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None 3
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1228
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Aug 14 1995 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 915
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 7 2000 4:30PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N8344D
NTSB Number FTW95LA340
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed VFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name BEECH
Aircraft Model J35
Aircraft Series Identifier J35
Aircraft Serial Number D-5448
Certified Max Gross Weight 2800
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 4
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Aug 5 1995 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 64
Airframe Hours 5348
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name ARTHUR W. STEWART
Aircraft Owner Street Address 8910 OLD SAPPINGTON ROAD
Aircraft Owner City CRESTWOOD
Aircraft Owner State MO
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 63126
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name CANDICE A. STEWART
Operator Same as Owner? No
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) Instructional
Second Pilot on Board Yes
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code APA
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 840
Departure Time Zone MDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code LXV
Destination City LEADVILLE
Destination State CO
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Takeoff
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:30AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 10
Runway Length 4903
Runway Width 62
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --