Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Rapid City Regional Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Rapid City, South Dakota 57701
Monday, June 7, 2004 13:02 MDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The amateur-built airplane was destroyed by an in-flight collision with terrain during a forced landing following a loss of engine power. The pilot reported that the takeoff was routine through 300-400 feet above ground level (agl) when the engine lost and then regained power. He was attempting to return to the airport when the engine lost power again. He reportedly turned to the left in order to avoid some hills in front of the aircraft. He maneuvered the aircraft again to avoid power lines "only to stall-slide into the terrain." The aircraft impacted the side of a small hill less than one-quarter mile west of the airport. A post-accident examination revealed that the left valve cover and rocker arms had separated from the engine. The valve cover and three of the four rocker arms were present in the vicinity of the engine. The fourth rocker arm was not located. The left side valve push rods had also separated from the engine and were located in the debris. The valve cover was dented in a manner consistent with impacts to the internal side of the cover.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Failure of the engine rocker arm installation resulting in a loss of engine power. A contributing factor was the power lines.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/7/2004 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 1302 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Daylight Time |
| Event City | Rapid City |
| Event State | SOUTH DAKOTA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 57701 |
| Event Date Year | 2004 |
| Event Date Month | 6 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 440243N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1030327W |
| Event Location Airport | Rapid City Regional |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | RAP |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0.25 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 20 |
| Airport Elevation | 3204 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1252 Mountain Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 100 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | RAP |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 3204 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MDT |
| 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) | 24 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 3 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Variable |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.68 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | METAR KRAP 071852Z VRB05KT 10SM CLR 24/03 A2968 S |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 1 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 17402 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jun 7 2004 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1645 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 30 2005 6:20AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\JOHB |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | FAA-Rapid City FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N250KB |
| NTSB Number | CHI04LA145 |
| 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 | Betchan |
| Aircraft Model | KR II |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | D-002 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | -- |
| 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 | -- |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Michael Kellems |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 1306 Horseshoe Drive |
| Aircraft Owner City | Lewisburg |
| Aircraft Owner State | TN |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 37091 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| 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) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | RAP |
| Departure City | Rapid City |
| Departure State | SD |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1300 |
| 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 | Takeoff - initial climb |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | -- |
| User who most recently changed record | -- |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 32 |
| Runway Length | 8701 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |