Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Vance Brand Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Longmont, Colorado 80501
Monday, April 1, 1996 14:49 MST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
Upon arriving at the destination airport from a local cross country flight, the pilot performed three touch and go landings. While on the crosswind leg of the fourth pattern circuit, which was to culminate in a full stop landing, the engine lost power and the pilot made an emergency landing in a plowed field. During the landing roll, one main landing gear collapsed and the airplane nosed over. The flight originated with 11 gallons of fuel on board, and the duration of the flight was 54 minutes. According to the pertinent Lycoming engine chart, the fuel consumption at 75 percent power (2,450 rpm) is 10.5 gallons per hour. A review of the pilot's aero/medical data revealed him to be non-current in flight proficiency and medical certification.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
the pilot's inadequate preflight planning and preparation in that he failed to ensure the aircraft had sufficient fuel to complete the flight. A factor was the soft terrain.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 4/1/1996 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 1449 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Standard Time |
| Event City | LONGMONT |
| Event State | COLORADO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 80501 |
| Event Date Year | 1996 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | VANCE BRAND |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 2V2 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 1 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 300 |
| Airport Elevation | 5052 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1500 Mountain Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 120 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | 2V2 |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 5052 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 1 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 22 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 70 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 8 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 2 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 171 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Apr 1 1996 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1515 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 8 2000 9:56AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N84PS |
| NTSB Number | FTW96LA158 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | STAFFORD |
| Aircraft Model | RV-4 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | RV-4 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 832 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1600 |
| 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 | AAIP |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jun 10 1995 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 98 |
| Airframe Hours | 616 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | DONALD C. BLESSING |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 11717 PINE CREEK COURT |
| Aircraft Owner City | ALEDO |
| Aircraft Owner State | TX |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 76008 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | WILLIAM J. MANSFIELD |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 101 CANON VIEW ROAD |
| Operator City | BOULDER |
| Operator State | CO |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 80302 |
| 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 | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | GXY |
| Departure City | GREELEY |
| Departure State | CO |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1425 |
| Departure Time Zone | MST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | 2V2 |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Approach |
| 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 | 11 |
| Runway Length | 5130 |
| Runway Width | 75 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |