- Date
- August 10, 2000, 10:30 local (16:30 UTC)
- Place
- Berthoud, CO
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N99DFFisher Glastar GS-1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 2, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20000810004949A
- Case key
- 49948
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
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Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain obstacle clearance during takeoff. A factor was the irrigation equipment.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The airplane drifted slightly to the left (north) as the pilot landed to the east, going uphill, on the private airstrip. He noted irrigation equipment on the south side of the airstrip. Takeoff was made to the west going downhill and he noticed 'considerable drift to the right (north).' He lowered the left wing to correct for the drift. As the airplane lifted off, the left wing struck an irrigation buggy wheel, causing the airplane to spin around 180 degrees. The airplane slid backwards, tearing off the tail wheel, and came to a halt under the sprinkler arm. The wind recorded at an airport 13 miles north of the accident site was from the south (160 degrees) at 7 knots with gusts to 14 knots.
Factual narrative
On August 10, 2000, at approximately 1030 mountain daylight time, a Fisher Glastar GS-1, N99DF, owned and operated by the pilot, was substantially damaged when it collided with a pivotal sprinkler system during takeoff from a farm near Berthoud, Colorado. The private pilot received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed for the personal flight being operated under Title 14 CFR Part 91. The flight was originating at the time of the accident.
According to the pilot's accident report, the airplane drifted slightly to the left (north) as he landed to the east, going uphill, on the private airstrip. He noted irrigation equipment on the south side of the airstrip. Takeoff was made to the west going downhill and he noticed "considerable drift to the right (north)." He lowered the left wing to correct for the drift. As the airplane lifted off, the left wing struck an irrigation buggy wheel, causing the airplane to spin around 180 degrees. The airplane slid backwards, tearing off the tail wheel, and came to a halt under the sprinkler arm. A report filed by the Larimer County Sheriff's Department corroborated the events reported by the pilot.
The wind recorded at the Fort Collins-Loveland Municipal Airport, located 13 miles north of the accident site, was from the south (160 degrees) at 7 knots with gusts to 14 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N99DF
- Reported as
- Fisher Glastar GS-1 (GLASTAR GS)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 5221
- Airframe hours
- 38
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A1A, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- David M. Fisher
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 9, 1999 · 38 hours before
- Departed
- NONE
- Destination
- 2V2 · Longmont, CO
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 72
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,185 total · 38 in this make and model · 1,000 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 160° at 7 knots, gusting 14
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- FNL, 13 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.