Pilot of an amateur built long ez was prevented from climbing above 500 ft AGL after takeoff due to ...

Attributes
ACN	422319
Time
Date	199812
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bjc
State Reference	CO
Altitude	agl bound lower : 500 agl bound upper : 500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Amateur (Home) Built
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude climbout : initial
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 20 flight time total : 20000 flight time type : 350
ASRS Report	422319
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : exited adverse environment flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

On the afternoon of dec/xa/98, about XA00, I took off from jefferson county airport (bjc) for a short flight to longmont (2v2). During the takeoff roll or climb out, the speed brake on my long ez deployed, the retract cable disconnected. The climb out was reduced, but at first I thought it was the turbulence and downwash from the mountains just to the west. By the time I figured what was wrong, the cylinder head and oil temperatures were really going up. The speed brake blocks most of the cooling air flow in a climb. I leveled off at about 500 ft AGL to try and accelerate to get the temperatures down and to get the speed brake to blow back up to the retracted position. To turn back to bjc would have put me over a more populated area, so I continued over the least populated area ahead and that also took me toward lower terrain. In a few mins, I was able to speed up and the board retracted and the temperatures went back to normal. No more problems during the flight to longmont. I was never below 500 ft AGL, but for a short while I might have been over other than a sparsely populated area. I hope this did not cause an inconvenience to anyone. I am now in the process of rebuilding the retract system for the speed brake so this problem should not happen again.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AN AMATEUR BUILT LONG EZ WAS PREVENTED FROM CLBING ABOVE 500 FT AGL AFTER TKOF DUE TO THE SPD BRAKE EXTENDING AND THE CABLE BECOMING DISCONNECTED FOR RETRACTION. THE SPD BRAKE BLOCKED ENG COOLING SO ADDITIONAL AIRSPD IN LEVEL FLT WAS NECESSARY TO FORCE THE SPD BRAKE TO RETRACT.

Narrative: ON THE AFTERNOON OF DEC/XA/98, ABOUT XA00, I TOOK OFF FROM JEFFERSON COUNTY ARPT (BJC) FOR A SHORT FLT TO LONGMONT (2V2). DURING THE TKOF ROLL OR CLBOUT, THE SPD BRAKE ON MY LONG EZ DEPLOYED, THE RETRACT CABLE DISCONNECTED. THE CLBOUT WAS REDUCED, BUT AT FIRST I THOUGHT IT WAS THE TURB AND DOWNWASH FROM THE MOUNTAINS JUST TO THE W. BY THE TIME I FIGURED WHAT WAS WRONG, THE CYLINDER HEAD AND OIL TEMPS WERE REALLY GOING UP. THE SPD BRAKE BLOCKS MOST OF THE COOLING AIR FLOW IN A CLB. I LEVELED OFF AT ABOUT 500 FT AGL TO TRY AND ACCELERATE TO GET THE TEMPS DOWN AND TO GET THE SPD BRAKE TO BLOW BACK UP TO THE RETRACTED POS. TO TURN BACK TO BJC WOULD HAVE PUT ME OVER A MORE POPULATED AREA, SO I CONTINUED OVER THE LEAST POPULATED AREA AHEAD AND THAT ALSO TOOK ME TOWARD LOWER TERRAIN. IN A FEW MINS, I WAS ABLE TO SPD UP AND THE BOARD RETRACTED AND THE TEMPS WENT BACK TO NORMAL. NO MORE PROBS DURING THE FLT TO LONGMONT. I WAS NEVER BELOW 500 FT AGL, BUT FOR A SHORT WHILE I MIGHT HAVE BEEN OVER OTHER THAN A SPARSELY POPULATED AREA. I HOPE THIS DID NOT CAUSE AN INCONVENIENCE TO ANYONE. I AM NOW IN THE PROCESS OF REBUILDING THE RETRACT SYS FOR THE SPD BRAKE SO THIS PROB SHOULD NOT HAPPEN AGAIN.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.