Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Meadowlake Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Falcon, Colorado 80831
Sunday, May 7, 1989 8:30 MDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THIS WAS THE MAIDEN FLT FOR THIS NEWLY COMPLETED HOMEBUILT. IT WAS ALSO THE FIRST FLT IN THIS MAKE/MDL FOR THE PLT. A WITNESS REPORTED THAT THE ACFT WENT THROUGH SEVERAL RADICAL PITCH CHANGES IMMEDIATELY AFTER LIFT OFF BEFORE NOSE DIVING INTO THE GROUND NEAR THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RWY. ACCORDING TO THE DESIGNER OF THE ACFT, THE REAR MOUNTED ENG RESULTS IN A NOSE DOWN TENDENCY DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL AND THE STICK MUST BE HELD AFT. AFTER THE ACFT BECOMES AIRBORNE AND BEGINS TO ACCELERATE THE STICK FORCES BECOME NORMAL. HE SAID THE COMPANY ENCOURAGES PLTS TO TAKE AN ORIENTATION RIDE WITH SOMEONE FAMILIAR WITH THE ACFT PRIOR TO THEIR FIRST FLT. THE PLT IN THIS CASE HAD NOT HAD AN ORIENTATION RIDE.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
THE PILOT'S LACK OF FAMILIARITY WITH THE CONTROL CHARACTERISTICS OF THIS NEWLY COMPLETED HOMEBUILT. THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO USE PROPER CONTROL INPUTS AND THE LACK OF INFORMATION PROVIDED BY THE AIRCRAFT KIT MANUFACTURER ARE CONSIDERED AS CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THE ACCIDENT.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/7/1989 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 830 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Daylight Time |
| Event City | FALCON |
| Event State | COLORADO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 80831 |
| Event Date Year | 1989 |
| Event Date Month | 5 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | MEADOWLAKE |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | OOV |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 0 |
| Airport Elevation | 6880 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Witness |
| 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 | 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) | 50 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 13 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 180 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 0 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Light and Variable |
| 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 | Serious |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | FAA |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 339 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | May 7 1989 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1030 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 38718 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 13 2000 12:40PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N34VV |
| NTSB Number | DEN89DTE03 |
| 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 | GALBREATH |
| Aircraft Model | VARIVIGGEN |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | VARIVIGGEN |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 550 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1860 |
| 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 | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Apr 3 1989 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | TERRY S. GALBREATH |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 1425 CITATION LANE |
| Aircraft Owner City | FALCON |
| Aircraft Owner State | CO |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 80831 |
| 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 | 00V |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 830 |
| Departure Time Zone | MST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | 00V |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Takeoff |
| 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 | 4150 |
| Runway Width | 30 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |