- Date
- June 17, 1994, 09:40 local (15:40 UTC)
- Place
- Leadville, CO
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N76DGGamble BD-4
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 14, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19940617015589A
- Case key
- 19090
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 failure to maintain directional control. Factors were an unreliable airspeed indicator and excessive landing approach airspeed.
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 pilot stated the airspeed indicator 'never indicated as much as 75 miles per hour' and, as a result, the landing approach was made with excessive speed. The pilot said after the airplane touched down, it started swerving and he over-controlled. The airplane departed the right side of the runway, went down a small hill, struck an embankment, and nosed over.
Factual narrative
On June 17, 1994, approximately 0940 mountain daylight time, N76DG, a Gamble BD-4, was substantially damaged during landing at Leadville, Colorado. The commercial pilot sustained minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed.
The following is based on the pilot/operator report. The pilot said the airspeed indicator "never indicated as much as 75 miles per hour" and, as a result, the landing approach was made with excessive speed. He stated that after the airplane touched down, it started swerving and he over-controlled. The airplane went off the right side of the runway, down a small hill, struck an embankment, and nosed over.
The following is based on written witness statements, including a telephone interview with the Leadville Airport manager. This was the first flight of the homebuilt airplane. The pilot took off on runway 34, climbed to about 1,500 to 2,000 feet AGL, and circled the airport four or five times. The landing approach was too low and the pilot had to carry power. The airplane touched down, veered off the right side of the runway, and nosed over.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N76DG
- Reported as
- Gamble BD-4
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 001
- Engine
- Lycoming, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Registered owner
- Gamble, Donald
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Airport
- LXV · Lake County, runway 34, 5,300 × 75 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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 77
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 30° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 20,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 28 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- LXV
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.