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20200723011259I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Tl-Ultralight Sro STING S4 · Rifle, CO · July 23, 2020

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
July 23, 2020 · 12:30 local
Place
Rifle, CO
Airport
Rifle
Phase of flight
Taxi
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N4747
Reported as
Tl-Ultralight Sro Sting S4
Reported engine
ROTAX 912ULS series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Sport pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
350 total75 in this make and model50 in the last 90 days
N4747Registered now · Tl-Ultralight Sro STING S4S/N 11ST372 · Built 2012Airframe modelTl-Ultralight Sro STING S4Engine modelRotax 912ULS series4 cycle

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

The mishap aircraft diverted to Rifle, CO due to a possible canopy unlatch. ASOS stated wind information missing. Pilot chose landing direction based off of ground cues and previous weather at departure airport less than 20 minutes prior.

The mishap aircraft landed long on runway 26. Pilot noted that his left brake seemed to not be working well, and elected to exit the runway at the furthest west taxiway, A1. He estimates speed at about 15 KTS leaving the runway.

Once he left the runway, he was surprised to see another aircraft facing him nose-to-nose, set up to depart runway 08 from taxiway A1. There is no offset runup area on this part of the airport. Additionally, there is a 6" tall concrete curb surroundng the taxiway.

The mishap aircraft had to deviate around the aircraft planning to depart the opposite direction, and came to rest approximately 15 feet tail-to-tail from the other aircraft. The mishap aircraft suffered damage caused by the 6" curb as it tried to go around the other airplane.

As the FAA filed it

THE MISHAP AIRCRAFT DIVERTED TO RIFLE, CO DUE TO A POSSIBLE CANOPY UNLATCH. ASOS STATED WIND INFORMATION MISSING. PILOT CHOSE LANDING DIRECTION BASED OFF OF GROUND CUES AND PREVIOUS WEATHER AT DEPARTURE AIRPORT LESS THAN 20 MINUTES PRIOR.

THE MISHAP AIRCRAFT LANDED LONG ON RUNWAY 26. PILOT NOTED THAT HIS LEFT BRAKE SEEMED TO NOT BE WORKING WELL, AND ELECTED TO EXIT THE RUNWAY AT THE FURTHEST WEST TAXIWAY, A1. HE ESTIMATES SPEED AT ABOUT 15 KTS LEAVING THE RUNWAY.

ONCE HE LEFT THE RUNWAY, HE WAS SURPRISED TO SEE ANOTHER AIRCRAFT FACING HIM NOSE-TO-NOSE, SET UP TO DEPART RUNWAY 08 FROM TAXIWAY A1. THERE IS NO OFFSET RUNUP AREA ON THIS PART OF THE AIRPORT. ADDITIONALLY, THERE IS A 6" TALL CONCRETE CURB SURROUNDNG THE TAXIWAY.

THE MISHAP AIRCRAFT HAD TO DEVIATE AROUND THE AIRCRAFT PLANNING TO DEPART THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION, AND CAME TO REST APPROXIMATELY 15 FEET TAIL-TO-TAIL FROM THE OTHER AIRCRAFT. THE MISHAP AIRCRAFT SUFFERED DAMAGE CAUSED BY THE 6" CURB AS IT TRIED TO GO AROUND THE OTHER AIRPLANE.