Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Garfield County Regional Airpo Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Rifle, Colorado 81650
Thursday, August 13, 2009 14:30 MDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the pilot had just completed practice for his air show performance and was landing on runway 26. The pilot stated that he landed fast and while braking to make an intersection, the brakes became hot and the right brake began to fade. The airplane began to track to the left and the pilot steered the airplane between two taxi lights. The airplane impacted a taxiway sign, breaking the right lower right inboard spar. The pilot did not see the sign prior to impact. An examination of the airplane, conducted by the FAA, revealed no mechanical anomalies.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's excessive landing speed and subsequent excessive brake application which resulted in a loss of control and impact with an airport sign.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/13/2009 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 1430 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Daylight Time |
| Event City | Rifle |
| Event State | COLORADO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 81650 |
| Event Date Year | 2009 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 393134N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1074337W |
| Event Location Airport | Garfield County Regional Airpo |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | KRIL |
| 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 | 5548 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1453 Mountain Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 360 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KEEO |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 6421 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 32 |
| 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) | 27 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 3 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 190 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 13 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 20 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.17 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 25928 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA ANM ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 14 2009 12:43PM |
| User who most recently changed record | johb |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N540S |
| NTSB Number | CEN09CA520 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | GRAHN J/GRAHN G |
| Aircraft Model | PITTS S2S |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 009 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1550 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Conditional |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jun 15 2009 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 1527 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | CODE SUPPLIES INC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 8973 BRIDLEWOOD LN |
| Aircraft Owner City | CORDOVA |
| Aircraft Owner State | TN |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 38016-3535 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | William Lewis Stewart |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 8973 BRIDLEWOOD LN |
| Operator City | CORDOVA |
| Operator State | TN |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 38016-3535 |
| 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) | Air Race/Show |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | KRIL |
| Departure City | Rifle |
| Departure State | CO |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1350 |
| Departure Time Zone | MDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | KRIL |
| Destination City | Rifle |
| Destination State | CO |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 25 2009 11:37AM |
| User who most recently changed record | kaij |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 26 |
| Runway Length | 7011 |
| Runway Width | 100 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |