- Date
- August 30, 2009, 11:58 local (17:58 UTC)
- Place
- Broomfield, CO
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N3278KWarner Lewis Steen
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 15, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA Flight Standards District Office
- FAA report
- 20090830017399A
- Case key
- 74634
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's inability to maintain directional control due to an internal mechanical failure of the left wheel that caused the wheel to seize.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that during the takeoff roll, approximately 35 mph, the airplane veered hard to the left. He tried to regain directional control by applying full right brake and aileron and reducing power but to no avail. The airplane departed the left side of the runway. The right wing struck PAPI (precision approach path indicator) lights and the airplane came to a halt. The airplane was substantially damaged during th impact. Postaccident examination revealed an internal mechanical failure of the left wheel, causing the wheel to seize and the tire to roll off its rim. Sideloads caused the right main landing gear to fail.
Factual narrative
The pilot said that during the takeoff roll on runway 29R, at approximately 35 mph, the airplane veered hard to the left. He tried to regain control by applying full right brake and aileron and reducing power but to no avail. The airplane departed the left side of the runway. The right wing struck PAPI (precision approach path indicator) lights and the airplane came to a halt southeast of taxiway A2. Post-accident examination by a mechanic and an FAA airworthiness inspector revealed an internal mechanical failure of the left wheel. The wheel seized and the tire rolled off its rim. Sideloads caused the right main landing gear to fail.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3278K
- Reported as
- Warner Lewis Steen
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 1435609SS
- Airframe hours
- 426
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-A1A, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Skybats Inc
- Registered owner
- Skybats Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special); Standard, Aerobatic
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 10, 2009
- Departed
- BJC · Broomfield, CO
- Destination
- BJC · Broomfield, CO
- Airport
- BJC · Rocky Mountain Metropolitan, runway 29R, 9,000 × 100 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 81
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight engineer, Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 6, 2009
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 42,000 total · 405 in this make and model · 27,000 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 43
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 17, 2008
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 119 total · 4 in this make and model · 57 as pilot in command · 14 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.23 inHg
- Observed at
- BJC
Docket · 9
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 8, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.6 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.