Sukhoi SU-29 N55SU
14 August 2000 · Longmont, Colorado, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 14 August 2000 at about 16:30 local time, a Sukhoi SU-29 registered N55SU was involved in an accident near Longmont, Colorado, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 16:30
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Longmont, Colorado, United States
- Nearest airport
- Vance Brand Airport (2V2)
- Coordinates
- Not recorded
- Aircraft
- Sukhoi SU-29
- Registration
- N55SU
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- DEN01LA026
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
The inadequate structural materials (American manufactured verses original Russian materials) used during a major repair.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
During landing, the airplane exited the right side of the runway and the left wing impacted the ground. The pilot taxied to his hangar. Postaccident examination was delayed several months (until December 11, 2000) to allow Sukhoi representatives to assess the damage. They determined that several structural tubes just aft of the engine firewall needed to be replaced. The damaged area of the fuselage was where the main landing gear attached to the fuselage. It could not be determined if the structural damage that occurred on August 14, 2000, was the result of one landing or progressive damage from several landings. The tubes that needed replacement following the August 14, 2000, event had been previously damaged (bent or broken) during an accident on May 11, 1996. At that time, several unsuccessful attempts were made to acquire Russian materials and technical assistance. The decision was made to perform the repairs using American materials. According to the Sukhoi representatives, the American tubing and welding rods were 'incompatible' with the original Russian materials.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Sukhoi SU-29 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Sep 1999 | Sukhoi SU-29 | Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 19 May 1998 | Sukhoi SU-29 | Manassas, Virginia, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 11 Oct 1997 | Sukhoi SU-29 | Williamstown, New Jersey, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 21 Mar 1996 | Sukhoi SU-29 | New Orleans, Louisiana, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 2 Oct 2004 | Sukhoi SU-29 | Santa Fe, New Mexico, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 14 May 1993 | Sukhoi SU-29 | Fountain, Colorado, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 Feb 2000 | Mooney M-20C | Boulder, Colorado, United States | Artell, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 30 Oct 2000 | Bell 206L-1 | Mesa Verde, Colorado, United States | U.s. Bureau of Reclamation | No injuries | - |
| 30 May 2000 | Piper PA-44-180T | Englewood, Colorado, United States | Aspen Flying Club | No injuries | - |
| 8 Apr 2000 | Beechcraft A60 | Englewood, Colorado, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 13 Nov 2000 | Mooney M20J | Longmont, Colorado, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 5 Jun 2000 | Piper PA-31-350 | Kiowa, Colorado, United States | Key Lime Air, Inc. | Fatal | 2 |