Amateur-built 77 accident near Phoenix, Arizona, January 9, 2009
On January 9, 2009 at about 8:43 pm local time, a amateur-built 77, registered N60DE, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Phoenix, Arizona (Deer Valley airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's improper application of brakes.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 9, 2009 · about 8:43 pm local time
- Place
- Phoenix, Arizona · Deer Valley · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built 77
- Registration
- N60DE · no longer on the register · serial 1919
- 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 rollout from a practice landing on runway 25L in his amateur-built, experimental biplane, he may have applied unequal toe brake pressure. The pilot stated that he lost directional control of the airplane, and while decelerating it swerved about 60 degrees sideways from the runway's centerline. During the mishap, the right main landing gear collapsed under the fuselage and the lower right wing impacted the runway. The pilot reported no mechanical failures with the airplane at the time of the accident. At the time, the surface wind was light and variable. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector examined the airplane and reported that the outboard portion of the lower right wing's aft spar was cracked.
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
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Brake › Incorrect use/operation
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- factor Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 18,000 hours in all; 30 in this make and model; 5 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: February 1, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 272 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, June 19, 2008; 5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,200 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-290 D2 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DVT Phoenix AZ at 8:30 pm
- Destination: DVT Phoenix AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 25L, 8,197 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
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.