Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aspen-Pitkin County Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Aspen, Colorado 81611
Wednesday, February 4, 2009 12:19 MST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The private pilot and passenger were landing following a cross-country flight. As soon as the nosewheel touched down on landing, the airplane pulled to the left. The pilot attempted to correct to the right and the airplane began swerving and exited the right side of the runway and came to a stop in a snow bank. The pilot told investigators the airplane had seven previous instances of the airplane pulling to the left during landing. In each of those cases, the steering departure occurred upon nosewheel touchdown and the pilot was able to regain control. Weather at the time of the accident was clear skies and the winds were variable at five knots. Postaccident examination of the airplane showed the nose gear rake angle was negative (-) .5 to -.7 degrees. Proper rake angle is 0.0 to positive .5 degrees. The manufacturers's analysis of the measured -.5 to -.7 degree rake angle showed that the rake angle maintained a positive margin of safety against dynamic nosewheel shimmy. The investigation could not determine the cause of the steering departure.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's inability to maintain directional control of the airplane during landing for undetermined reasons.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Incident |
| Event Date | 2/4/2009 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1219 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Standard Time |
| Event City | Aspen |
| Event State | COLORADO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 81611 |
| Event Date Year | 2009 |
| Event Date Month | 2 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 391323N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1065208w |
| Event Location Airport | Aspen-Pitkin County Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | ASE |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 7820 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | ASE |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | -- |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| 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) | 2 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -12 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Variable |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.38 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| 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 | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 26469 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 27 2010 12:21PM |
| User who most recently changed record | broda |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N535JR |
| NTSB Number | CEN09IA153 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Minor |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | NEW PIPER AIRCRAFT INC |
| Aircraft Model | PA-46-500T |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 4697253 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 5100 |
| 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 | 6 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Sep 9 2008 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 152 |
| Airframe Hours | 680 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | RICHBUILT CONSTRUCTION LLC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 3535 WINDSOR PL |
| Aircraft Owner City | BOCA RATON |
| Aircraft Owner State | FL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 33496-2765 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | RICHBUILT CONSTRUCTION LLC |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 3535 WINDSOR PL |
| Operator City | BOCA RATON |
| Operator State | FL |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 33496-2765 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| 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 | RVS |
| Departure City | Tulsa |
| Departure State | OK |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 100 |
| Departure Time Zone | -- |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | -- |
| Destination City | Aspen |
| Destination State | CO |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 27 2010 12:22PM |
| User who most recently changed record | broda |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 15 |
| Runway Length | 7006 |
| Runway Width | 100 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |