Hildebrandt RUTAN/DEFIANT N219DF

Summary

On 20 August 2002 at about 16:45 local time, a Hildebrandt RUTAN/DEFIANT registered N219DF was involved in an accident near Erie, Colorado, United States. 2 people were 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.

Date

20 August 2002 at 16:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Erie, Colorado, United States

Nearest airport

Tri-County (48V)

Coordinates

40.0103, -105.0478

Aircraft

Hildebrandt RUTAN/DEFIANT

Registration

N219DF

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Erie → Walsenburg

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DEN02LA099

Nobody was injured.

failure of the normal braking system, resulting in the airplane departing the end of the runway. A contributing factor was the airplane's slow acceleration during the takeoff roll.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was taking off on runway 15. Power was applied to the rear engine, followed by power application to the forward engine. The airplane accelerated "slower than usual" and when the airplane was halfway down the runway, the pilot rejected the takeoff because he "couldn't rotate the airplane...it seemed to require more back pressure...it didn't seem right." Power was retarded to idle and brakes applied, but they didn't seem to have any effect. The airplane went off the end of the runway and traveled 500 feet across rough terrain, collapsing the nose landing gear and bending its fairing, and crushing the "Rhino" rudder and engine cowling. The propeller was also bent. A dowel from the left wheel pant was found about halfway down the runway.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.