- Date
- June 19, 2010, 13:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place
- Longmont, CO
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N14884Rose-Rhinehart A4-C
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Nose over/nose down
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 21, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA Flight Standards District Office
- FAA report
- 20100619037489A
- Case key
- 76359
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
A loss of engine power due to fuel starvation as a result of the pilot's failure to open the fuel valve, resulting a loss of engine power after takeoff. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's overall lack of experience in the airplane make/model.
Findings · 2
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
This was the pilot's first flight in the airplane make/model. Shortly after take off, the engine lost power. The airplane developed a high sink rate and "hit the ground hard in a flat attitude and bounced." The landing gear collapsed and the airplane nosed over. The pilot later discovered that the fuel valve, which was difficult to see due to its position underneath and forward of the instrument panel, was in the "OFF" position.
Factual narrative
The pilot said that the aircraft owner had invited him to fly his airplane, which was similar to the biplane he had flown for 400 hours over the past 28 years. This was to be his first time flying this particular airplane. After preflighting and familiarizing himself with the layout of controls and instruments, he started the engine. After completing his pre-takeoff checks and an engine run-up, the pilot taxied to the end of the runway and took off. After climbing to about 500 feet, the pilot “sensed the loss of power.” He lowered the nose and began looking for a place to land. The sink rate was high and it became apparent that he would be unable to clear trees ahead. The pilot aimed for a field below and the airplane “hit the ground hard in a flat attitude and bounced." The landing gear collapsed and the airplane nosed over. Later, the pilot said he checked the fuel valve --- "which was difficult to see due to its position underneath and forward of the instrument panel" --- and found the selector handle to be in the "OFF" position.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N14884
- Reported as
- Rose-Rhinehart A4-C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 508
- Airframe hours
- 341
- Engine
- Continental O-200, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- John B. Greiner
- Registered owner
- John B. Greiner
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special); Standard, Aerobatic
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 14, 2008 · 51 hours before
- Departed
- 8CO7 · Longmont, CO
- Destination
- 8CO7 · Longmont, CO
- Airport
- 8CO7 · Colorado Antique Field, runway 07, 3,400 × 150 ft, grass/turf
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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 52
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 19, 2009
- Seat
- Single
- Flight hours
- 1,886 total · 0 in this make and model · 1,654 as pilot in command · 15 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F
- Observed at
- BJC
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 14, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 180 KB 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.
Other investigations on N14884 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.