Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Snowmass, Colorado 81654
Sunday, July 5, 1987 17:08 MDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE ATP PLT AND HIS PASSENGER DEPARTED ASPEN, CO ON A LOCAL ACROBATIC FLIGHT. WITNESSES STATED THE PLT HAD BEEN PERFORMING ACROBATIC MANUEVERS AND WAS ATTEMPTING A 'LOOP' WHEN THE ACFT WAS OBSERVED TO 'STALL' AT THE TOP OF THE MANUEVER, APPROXIMATELY 2000 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. WITNESSES OBSERVED THE ACFT SPIN IN A NEAR VERTICAL, NOSE LOW ATTITUDE WHICH CONTINUED UNTIL GRD IMPACT. NO EVIDENCE OF MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION OF THE ACFT STRUCTURE, ENG OR PROP WAS FOUND. THE PLT HAD BUILT N81DG.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 7/5/1987
Event Day of the Week Sunday
Time of Event 1708
Event Time Zone Mountain Daylight Time
Event City SNOWMASS
Event State COLORADO
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 81654
Event Date Year 1987
Event Date Month 7
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport
Event Location Nearest Airport ID
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1622 Mountain Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 180
Weather Observation Facility ID ASE
Elevation of weather observation facility 7816
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 20
Time Zone of the weather observation MDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 12000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 8000
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) 30
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 27
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) -3
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 210
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 5
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) --
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 2
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1570
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jul 5 1987 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1800
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 34950
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 2:35PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N81DG
NTSB Number DEN87LA170
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 CHRISTIAN
Aircraft Model EAGLE II
Aircraft Series Identifier EAGLE II
Aircraft Serial Number 001DG
Certified Max Gross Weight 1237
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 Annual
Date of Last Inspection May 6 1987 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 DAVE GROUNDFEST
Aircraft Owner Street Address 8 RIVER OAKES CIRCLE
Aircraft Owner City LITTLE ROCK
Aircraft Owner State AR
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 72207
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name DAVID GRUNDFEST
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 8 RIVER OAKS
Operator City LITTLE ROCK
Operator State AR
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 72207
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 ASE
Departure City ASPEN
Departure State CO
Departure Country
Departure Time 1530
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 Descent
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 0
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --