Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Fort Collins, Colorado 80526
Wednesday, November 22, 2000 14:00 MST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
While the pilot/builder was conducting the 28th test flight following construction of the homebuilt aircraft, witnesses observed the aircraft flying in a westerly direction about 1,500 feet above the surface. The witnesses said the wings appeared to fold up and the aircraft descended vertically and impacted the ground in a open field trailing a streamed parachute. Investigation revealed the aircraft had been equipped with an aircraft recovery parachute and it had been activated by the pilot/builder. During deployment, the parachute had gone through the propeller and sheared off all the propeller blades. It also revealed a structural failure in the airframe where the pilot had drilled multiple holes at the left horizontal stabilizer attach point. The failure allowed the horizontal and vertical stabilizer to be displaced over the top of the aircraft. The aircraft was of a pusher propeller design and research into the parachute system provided information that in pusher propeller aircraft installations, the engine must be secured prior to the deployment of the parachute to prevent the parachute from becoming entangled in the propeller. The parachute shroud lines and Kevlar retention strap were wrapped around the propeller shaft and hub preventing the parachute from opening.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Failure of an airframe stringer due to improper construction by the builder/pilot which rendered the aircraft uncontrollable. A factor was failure by the builder pilot to follow procedures and secure the engine prior to deploying the aircraft recovery parachute.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 11/22/2000 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1400 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Standard Time |
| Event City | Fort Collins |
| Event State | COLORADO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 80526 |
| Event Date Year | 2000 |
| Event Date Month | 11 |
| 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 | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1455 Mountain Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 103 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | FNL |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 5016 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 6 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 11 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -8 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 20 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 4 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.99 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 5600 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 10223 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA NW OPERATIONS CENTER |
| NTSB Notification Date | Nov 22 2000 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1425 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 30 2001 11:11AM |
| User who most recently changed record | MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Denver, CO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N9931W |
| NTSB Number | DEN01LA017 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | 2000 McCoy |
| Aircraft Model | Genesis |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 075 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1400 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | -- |
| 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 | Conditional |
| Date of Last Inspection | Aug 24 2000 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 28 |
| Airframe Hours | 31 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Arvan J. McCoy |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Loveland |
| Aircraft Owner State | CO |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 80537 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| 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? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| 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) | Flight Test |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | FNL |
| Departure City | Fort Collis |
| Departure State | CO |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1330 |
| Departure Time Zone | MST |
| 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 | Maneuvering |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 20 2001 10:44AM |
| User who most recently changed record | MCBM |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | -- |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |