Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Del Norte Kent Rominger Field Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Del Norte, Colorado 81132
Monday, January 2, 2012 13:50 MDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot, who held a private pilot certificate, was receiving dual instruction from a certified flight instructor (CFI) to become familiar with his newly acquired tailwheel-equipped airplane. After practicing some standard flight maneuvers at altitude, the pilot returned to the departure airport to practice full stop landings and takeoffs. The CFI demonstrated the first landing, and then the pilot performed the next four landings and takeoffs with the CFI monitoring the controls and providing assistance when necessary. The CFI stated that the pilot's first landing was normal, the second landing required minor directional control assistance, the third landing required no assistance, and the fourth landing required some assistance from the base leg to final approach but the landing and roll were normal. On the fifth landing, the pilot made a nice three-point touchdown and rolled straight ahead. During the landing roll, the airplane suddenly swerved to the right and the CFI noticed that the pilot had already applied full left corrective rudder. The CFI then applied the left brake, but the application was ineffective. He then applied right brake to slow the airplane's pending departure off the runway. The airplane nosed over and came to rest in a snow bank that was bordering the runway. The top of the rudder sustained substantial damage.
The airplane was equipped with a supplemental type certificate non-standard brake system. The CFI stated that, when he had ferried the airplane, he noted that the brake system was extremely sensitive. The CFI stated that he told the pilot early in his instruction that the use of the brakes should be avoided in normal operations due to their sensitivity. The CFI stated that he believes that the sensitivity of the brake system was a causal factor in the accident.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's loss of directional control during the landing roll, which resulted in a runway excursion. Contributing to the accident were the sensitivity of the brake system and the certified flight instructor pilot's delayed remedial action.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 1/2/2012 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 1350 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Daylight Time |
| Event City | Del Norte |
| Event State | COLORADO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 81132 |
| Event Date Year | 2012 |
| Event Date Month | 1 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 374209N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1062106W |
| Event Location Airport | Del Norte Kent Rominger Field |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 8V1 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 1 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 7850 |
| 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 | -- |
| 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) | 25 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | -3 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | -- |
| Wind Speed (knots) | -- |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| Wind Gust Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| 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) | 29512 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Operations Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 16 2012 11:04AM |
| User who most recently changed record | johb |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N9952Q |
| NTSB Number | CEN12CA132 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | Unknown |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-18-135 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 18-3579 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1950 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | May 15 2011 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 3962 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Jimmy K. Adelman |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Creede |
| Aircraft Owner State | CO |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 81130 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Jimmy K. Adelman |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Creede |
| Operator State | CO |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 81130 |
| 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) | Instructional |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | 8V1 |
| Departure City | Del Norte |
| Departure State | CO |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1330 |
| Departure Time Zone | MDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | 8V1 |
| Destination City | Del Norte |
| Destination State | CO |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 13 2012 9:01PM |
| User who most recently changed record | lema |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 24 |
| Runway Length | 6050 |
| Runway Width | 75 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |