Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
La Plata County Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Durango, Colorado 81301
Sunday, July 15, 2012 9:10 MDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
**This report was modified on November 19, 2013. Please see the public docket for this accident to view the original report.**
The airplane was being flown by a private pilot, who stated that he had flown the airplane with the previous owner but had not conducted any takeoffs or landings, and a flight instructor who was providing dual instruction. The pilot lost directional control of the airplane during the takeoff ground run, and the airplane subsequently became airborne at too slow of an airspeed. The pilot reduced the power to land the airplane back on the runway. The instructor stated that he told the pilot to lower the nose and to watch the airspeed then took control of the airplane. The instructor lowered the nose, and the pilot increased the power. The instructor stated that the left wing dropped as the airspeed increased, but he was able to level the wings. The right wing then dropped "very quickly," and he was not able to recover. The airplane came to rest inverted in the grass alongside the runway. The fuselage, wings, firewall, and the empennage were substantially damaged.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane and the instructor's delayed remedial action.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/15/2012 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 910 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Daylight Time |
| Event City | Durango |
| Event State | COLORADO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 81301 |
| Event Date Year | 2012 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 370905N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1074513W |
| Event Location Airport | La Plata County Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | KDRO |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 943 Mountain Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KDRO |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 6685 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 11000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Few |
| 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) | 19 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 11 |
| 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) | 30.31 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 2 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 30430 |
| 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 | Oct 29 2012 6:26PM |
| User who most recently changed record | snyg |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N532FD |
| NTSB Number | CEN12CA442 |
| 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 | DOPPELT FREDRIC F |
| Aircraft Model | F. 8L FALCO |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 1318 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2552 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | Yes |
| 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 | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Conditional |
| Date of Last Inspection | Nov 10 2011 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 353 |
| Airframe Hours | 353 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | DOPPELT VENTURES LLC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | MISSOULA |
| Aircraft Owner State | MT |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 59802 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Bruce Snyder |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Louisville |
| Operator State | CO |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 80027 |
| 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 | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | KDRO |
| Departure City | Durango |
| Departure State | CO |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | -- |
| Departure Time Zone | MDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | KDRO |
| Destination City | Durango |
| Destination State | CO |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 24 2012 11:27AM |
| User who most recently changed record | sulp |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 21 |
| Runway Length | 9201 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |