Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Kayenta Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Kayenta, Arizona 86033
Wednesday, May 2, 2007 14:55 MDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot reported that the airplane was at a cruise altitude of 12,500 feet msl on a cross-country flight when he experienced a sudden and complete loss of ruddervator control. The pilot said that control of the airplane was regained after reducing engine power to 1,500 rpm, and stabilizing the airspeed at 100-knots. He added that subsequent airplane control was accomplished via aileron and power inputs. The pilot flew to an airport about 75 miles from where the loss of control occurred. On short final for the intended runway, he lowered the landing gear. The airplane entered a dive and collided with terrain about 300 yards short of the runway in a nose-low attitude, which resulted in structural damage to the airframe. According to first responders to the accident, the pilot told them that he encountered severe turbulence, and momentarily lost control of the airplane. Examination of the airplane revealed that both ruddervators had separated from their respective stabilizer attach points at some earlier time during the flight. The ruddervators were not found at the accident site, and only remnants remained attached to the hinge points on the stabilizers. The remaining pieces of ruddervator were examined. The examination revealed no evidence of preexisting cracks, fatigue, or corrosion damage, and all fracture features were consistent with overstress separations. For the portions of the flight documented by radar coverage, the data indicated calculated true airspeeds routinely above design maneuvering speed (VA-132-kts), with two sustained periods at design cruising speed (VC-165-kts), and occasional periods 5 to 12-knots above VC. There's no evidence indicating that the airplane's never-exceed speed (VNE-195-kts) was exceeded. An AIRMET (Airman's Meteorological Information) for moderate turbulence was issued during the timeframe of the accident, and included the route of flight.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The overstress separation of both ruddervators during cruise flight. Contributing to the accident was the flight's encounter with turbulence.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/2/2007 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1455 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Daylight Time |
| Event City | Kayenta |
| Event State | ARIZONA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 86033 |
| Event Date Year | 2007 |
| Event Date Month | 5 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 364234N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1101412W |
| Event Location Airport | Kayenta Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 0V7 |
| 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 | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 5710 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Pilot |
| Time of the weather observation | |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | -- |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | -- |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | -- |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 10000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 4300 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 16 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | -- |
| Wind Speed (knots) | -- |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Light and Variable |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Serious |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 24047 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA-ROC LAX |
| NTSB Notification Date | May 2 2007 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 28 2008 3:01PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\johb |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Scottsdale, AZ |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N3210L |
| NTSB Number | SEA07LA118 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Beech |
| Aircraft Model | V35B |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | D9953 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2700 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Apr 1 2007 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 2 |
| Airframe Hours | 1097 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Don C. Debelle |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Sahuarita |
| Aircraft Owner State | AZ |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 85629 |
| 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) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | GJT |
| Departure City | GRAND JUNCTION |
| Departure State | CO |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1300 |
| Departure Time Zone | MDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | 0V7 |
| Destination City | Kayenta |
| Destination State | AZ |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 30 2008 4:47PM |
| User who most recently changed record | STAM |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 23 |
| Runway Length | 7140 |
| Runway Width | 75 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |