Amateur-built Glasair accident near Broomfield, Colorado, May 16, 2018
On May 16, 2018 at about 9:20 pm local time, a 1990 amateur-built Glasair, registered N4EJ, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Broomfield, Colorado (Rocky Mountain Muni airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the right brake line, which resulted in a loss of directional control and runway excursion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 16, 2018 · about 9:20 pm local time
- Place
- Broomfield, Colorado · Rocky Mountain Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Glasair FT, built 1990
- Registration
- N4EJ · registry record · serial 265
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airline transport pilot reported that, during the landing roll, the experimental, amateur-built airplane started drifting to the left and he applied right rudder to correct. He subsequently attempted to apply right brake pressure to further correct for the drift as the airplane was traveling about 50 knots. At that time, the right brake pedal "went to the floor," and there was "zero" right brake available. The airplane departed the left side of the runway, crossed the grass, and came to rest on the parallel taxiway. A postrecovery examination revealed that the plastic right brake line was broken near the upper end of the landing gear strut. The airplane was equipped with a free-castering nosewheel and did not have any nosewheel steering capability. Directional control during ground operations was maintained with differential braking. As a result, maintaining directional control after the brake failure was not possible.
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
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll)
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Landing gear brakes system › Failure
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Brake › Inoperative
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Attain/maintain not possible
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: glider; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 14,800 hours in all; 250 in this make and model
- Last flight review: November 18, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,589.3 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, November 8, 2017; 0 hours since
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A3A (piston); 2,889 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LMO Longmont CO at 9:00 pm
- Destination: BJC Broomfield CO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 12L, 9,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
- Observation at 9:45 pm from BJC
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
7 documents, released by the NTSB on August 23, 2018. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot's Statement | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot's Qualifications & Flight Experience | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | FAA Inspector's Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Recovery Operator Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Maintenance Records - Airframe | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Maintenance Records - Engine | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Surface Weather Observations - Broomfield, Co | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.