Colorado Aviation Accidents & Incidents

On October 19, 2002, at 1241 mountain daylight time, a Hildebrandt Rutan/Defiant, N219DF, was substantially damaged during a forced landing following a loss of engine oil pressure at Front Range Airport, Watkins, Colorado. The private pilot, the sole occupant aboard, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed for the personal flight being conducted under Title 14 CFR Part 91. The local flight originated at 1240.

The following is based on the pilot's accident report. After taking off on runway 26 and turning onto the crosswind leg, the pilot noticed the rear engine oil pressure was dropping. After turning onto the downwind leg, the pilot reduced power on the rear engine to idle. When he was on final approach and felt assured of landing on runway 26, he shut down the rear engine. When he retarded the throttle on the front engine, he noticed power was not decreasing. He secured the front engine by turning off the ignition and glided to a landing but he forgot to lower the nose landing gear. The airplane touched down, the nose struck the runway, and the airplane skidded to a halt on the runway. The airplane's nose section, including the "Rhino" rudder, was crushed and several fuselage bulkheads were buckled.

Examination of the airplane disclosed the front engine throttle cable had broken, and there was a broken oil pressure sensor line in the rear engine. In his accident report, the pilot noted that the accident could have been prevented if he had followed "better emergency procedures --- use of the emergency checklist." the pilot's failure to use the checklist, resulting in his forgetting to lower the nose landing gear. Contributing factors included the pilot's attention being diverted by the loss of oil pressure on the rear engine due to a broken oil pressure sensor line, and a broken throttle cable on the front engine, requiring an airborne shutdown using the ignition switches.