Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aspen-Pitkin County Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Aspen, Colorado 81321
Thursday, August 12, 1999 12:34 MDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
During the pilot's second landing attempt, the aircraft touched down near taxiway A2, 1,800 feet down the 7,004 foot runway. The airplane then failed to stop, and departed the end of the runway slightly left of the centerline into a grassy, rocky ditch. The pilot stated that after allowing the nose wheel to settle onto the runway, he applied brake pressure and the right brake appeared soft. He was not able to initiate a go-around due to the high density altitude (calculated to be 9,828 ft. mean sea level), and limited remaining runway. According to a mechanic employed at the airport, he observed a red fluid running down the right gear strut following the accident. A functional brake test of the right brake was performed, and it was confirmed that the right brake was 'soft.' The wind at the time the pilot landed was from 300 degrees at 10 knots. The airport normally directs traffic to land on runway 15 due to mountainous terrain, despite existing wind conditions.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
A failure of the right landing gear's brake system. Factors were the improper touchdown point attained by the pilot, the existing weather conditions that included a tailwind and high density altitude, and the rocky ditch.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/12/1999 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 1234 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Daylight Time |
| Event City | ASPEN |
| Event State | COLORADO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 81321 |
| Event Date Year | 1999 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | ASPEN-PITKIN COUNTY |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | ASE |
| 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 | 7815 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Pilot |
| Time of the weather observation | 0 |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 0 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 12000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 21 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 300 |
| 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) | 9828 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 415 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Aug 12 1999 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1327 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 12 2000 11:49AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N124KM |
| NTSB Number | DEN99LA144 |
| 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 | Coleman |
| Aircraft Model | LANCAIR IV P |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | LANCAIR IV |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 141 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3100 |
| 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 | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Feb 5 1999 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 100 |
| Airframe Hours | 550 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | KEITH L. MULLENGER |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 600 S. WARSON RD. |
| Aircraft Owner City | SAINT LOUIS |
| Aircraft Owner State | MO |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 63124 |
| 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 | No |
| Departure Airport Code | GLD |
| Departure City | GOODLAND |
| Departure State | KS |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1145 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | ASE |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Landing |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:35AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 15 |
| Runway Length | 7004 |
| Runway Width | 100 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |