Amateur-built MURPHY MOOSE accident near Steamboat Springs, Colorado, May 12, 2012
On May 12, 2012 at about 6:15 pm local time, a amateur-built MURPHY MOOSE, registered N223DH, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Steamboat Springs, Colorado (Steamboat Springs Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A locked left brake for reasons that could not be determined because independent observations of the postaccident condition of the airplane could not be performed, and the pilot’s subsequent loss of control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 12, 2012 · about 6:15 pm local time
- Place
- Steamboat Springs, Colorado · Steamboat Springs Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built MURPHY MOOSE
- Registration
- N223DH · registry record · serial 223SR
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that during the landing roll in the experimental kit-built airplane, the left wheel brake locked, and the airplane departed the left side of the runway. The left landing gear dug into the soft dirt and the airplane nosed over. The pilot/owner/builder disassembled both brake master cylinders and the parking brake valve without federal oversight and found no foreign material or operating problems with the master cylinder or parking valve. The variance of 0.009 inches in the dowel pin length documented by the pilot/owner/builder was explained by standard manufacturing procedures used to achieve near simultaneous operation of the valve between the left and right sides of the parking brake. Functional testing of the parking brake valve revealed no anomalies. Due to the disassembly of the parking brake valve and parking brake assembly without federal oversight, investigators were unable to determine their condition on the airplane at the time of the accident. Accordingly, the cause of the locked left brake could not be determined.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 16,000 hours in all; 183 in this make and model; 200 in the last 90 days; 85 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: January 1, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 187 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, March 1, 2012
- Maximum gross weight: 3,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Vendenyev M14P (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KEGE Eagle CO at 5:00 pm
- Destination: KSBS Steamboat Springs CO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 32, 4,452 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 7,500 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 23°F (-5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.22 inHg
- Observation at 6:11 pm from KSBS
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.