What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.4)The 265-hour private pilot filed a VFR flight plan from boulder, Colorado, to pueblo, Colorado, and requested VFR flight following services. Thirty minutes later, the pilot reported he was encountering 'moderate turbulence,' then 'quite a bit of turbulence,' that he was turning around, and requested flight following services back to boulder. Shortly thereafter, the pilot advised he was in a spin and unable to correct and that he was turning off his transponder. The airplane struck the ground in a near-vertical attitude. There was no evidence of a spin. His logbook indicated he had never been demonstrated a spin or had been given spin instruction. The pilot's operating handbook prohibits spins and states: 'there is evidence that permitting a spin to go beyond one turn without initiating proper recovery procedures can allow a spin mode to develop from which recovery is not possible.' (-23)alfred purdon departed boulder, CO as pilot in command of N9453L, a Grumman aaia trainer on 7/5/98. A standard weather briefing was obtained from denver flight service and a VFR flight plan was filed. Visual meteorolog ical conditions prevailed, with no significant hazardous weather reported or forecast. While enroute to pueblo, CO approximately 5 miles s.e. of castle rock, CO. The pilot radioed denver TRACON twice that he was experiencing moderate turbulence. A third transmission was received in which the pilot stated he was in a spin, unable to correct and turning off his transponder. Radar contact was lost at 1724Z. The pilot, sole occupant of the aircraft sustained fatal injuries and the aircraft was destroyed.
As the FAA filed it
(.4)THE 265-HOUR PRIVATE PILOT FILED A VFR FLIGHT PLAN FROM BOULDER, COLORADO, TO PUEBLO, COLORADO, AND REQUESTED VFR FLIGHT FOLLOWING SERVICES. THIRTY MINUTES LATER, THE PILOT REPORTED HE WAS ENCOUNTERING 'MODERATE TURBULENCE,' THEN 'QUITE A BIT OF TURBULENCE,' THAT HE WAS TURNING AROUND, AND REQUESTED FLIGHT FOLLOWING SERVICES BACK TO BOULDER. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE PILOT ADVISED HE WAS IN A SPIN AND UNABLE TO CORRECT AND THAT HE WAS TURNING OFF HIS TRANSPONDER. THE AIRPLANE STRUCK THE GROUND IN A NEAR-VERTICAL ATTITUDE. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF A SPIN. HIS LOGBOOK INDICATED HE HAD NEVER BEEN DEMONSTRATED A SPIN OR HAD BEEN GIVEN SPIN INSTRUCTION. THE PILOT'S OPERATING HANDBOOK PROHIBITS SPINS AND STATES: 'THERE IS EVIDENCE THAT PERMITTING A SPIN TO GO BEYOND ONE TURN WITHOUT INITIATING PROPER RECOVERY PROCEDURES CAN ALLOW A SPIN MODE TO DEVELOP FROM WHICH RECOVERY IS NOT POSSIBLE.' (-23)ALFRED PURDON DEPARTED BOULDER, CO AS PILOT IN COMMAND OF N9453L, A GRUMMAN AAIA TRAINER ON 7/5/98. A STANDARD WEATHER BRIEFING WAS OBTAINED FROM DENVER FLIGHT SERVICE AND A VFR FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. VISUAL METEOROLOG ICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, WITH NO SIGNIFICANT HAZARDOUS WEATHER REPORTED OR FORECAST. WHILE ENROUTE TO PUEBLO, CO APPROXIMATELY 5 MILES S.E. OF CASTLE ROCK, CO. THE PILOT RADIOED DENVER TRACON TWICE THAT HE WAS EXPERIENCING MODERATE TURBULENCE. A THIRD TRANSMISSION WAS RECEIVED IN WHICH THE PILOT STATED HE WAS IN A SPIN, UNABLE TO CORRECT AND TURNING OFF HIS TRANSPONDER. RADAR CONTACT WAS LOST AT 1724Z. THE PILOT, SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.