Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Rifle-Garfield County Regional Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Rifle, Colorado 81650
Wednesday, July 21, 2004 13:45 MDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot reported that because of the high density altitude, he wanted to do a CAWI (Continuous Alcohol Water Injection) takeoff. At the end of the runway, the pilot brought up the engine power. The pilot said that the right engine came up to 100 percent torque immediately, but the left engine hesitated at 75 percent torque. The pilot said he gave the left engine more power lever and the torque came up to 85 to 90 percent. The pilot began his takeoff roll. At approximately 70 knots, the left engine "surged down" to 70 to 75 percent torque, and the airplane went sharply left of runway centerline. The pilot said he shouted "abort takeoff" and got the airplane aligned with the runway again. The pilot said he told the copilot to turn off the CAWI pumps. The airplane had slowed to 40 knots. The pilot said as he "initiated the power levers to idle and over the gates into the BETA range, the airplane again surged sharply to the left. The pilot said that he and the copilot applied "hard right rudder" to straighten the airplane. The airplane departed the left side of the runway, striking two taxiway signs and a light, and causing substantial damage to the airplane's pressure vessel, the nose gear doors, and the left propeller. A post-accident examination of the left engine showed a sensor wire to the CAWI system was broken. Additionally, it was discovered that the right engine was misrigged causing a delay when the engine was placed in reverse thrust.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
the pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control during the aborted takeoff resulting in the airplane departing the runway and striking a runway light and two taxiway signs. Factors contributing to the accident were the broken sensor wire to the left engine's Continuous Alcohol Water Injection System, the misrigged power levers, the runway light ,and the signs.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/21/2004 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1345 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Daylight Time |
| Event City | Rifle |
| Event State | COLORADO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 81650 |
| Event Date Year | 2004 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 393135N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1074337W |
| Event Location Airport | Rifle-Garfield County Regional |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | RIL |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0.25 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 260 |
| Airport Elevation | 5544 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1321 Mountain Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 80 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | RIL |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 5544 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 1 |
| 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) | 32 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 9 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 310 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 7 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.13 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 8670 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 6 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 16503 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Comm Ctr |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jul 21 2004 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1415 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 28 2004 10:11AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Salt Lake City, UT FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N84GA |
| NTSB Number | DEN04LA112 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Swearingen |
| Aircraft Model | SA-226T |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 312 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 12500 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 10 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| 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 | REG Management CO LLC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 401 Chelsea Drive |
| Aircraft Owner City | Lafayette |
| Aircraft Owner State | LA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 70503 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Robert A. Sandberg |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 303 Easyland Drive |
| Operator City | Lafayette |
| Operator State | LA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 70503 |
| 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 | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | RIL |
| Departure City | Rifle |
| Departure State | CO |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1345 |
| Departure Time Zone | MDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | ARA |
| Destination City | Lafayette |
| Destination State | LA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Takeoff - aborted |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 8 2004 11:45AM |
| User who most recently changed record | MCBM |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 26 |
| Runway Length | 7000 |
| Runway Width | 100 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |