What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On February 15, 2003, I, willam e. cornick, was acting as flight instructor and pilot in command on a flight in tbm 700, N700GJ, from the denver, Colorado, centennial airport (apa) to the Aspen, Colorado, Pitkin county airport (ase). The aircraft owner, Mr. Ronnie morgan, a licensed pilot, wasacting as "pilot flying". We had completed a VOR DME approach to visual conditions and were cleared for a visual approach to ase runway 15. The approach was stabilized with landing gear and flaps in the landing position. The approach was normal until approximately 100 feet above the runway at which time the airplane encountered a probable wind shear or wake turbulence condition causing rapid-roll tendencies right and left. As the pilot flying began his landing flare at about 15 feet above the runway the left wing dropped rapidly combined with a sudden high sink rate. As I took control of the airplane applying corrective rudder, aileron, pitch and power corrections, the left wing tip struck the runway causing damage to the left wing tip, aileron, and trailing edge wing flap. The airplane was taxied to the ramp where we made a visual inspection of the damage and I determined that the airplane should not be flown without further inspection by maintenance personnel and probable repairs. There was no apparent damage to structural components such as landing gear box, wing spars, or fuel tanks. There was no fuel leakage, no propeller strike, or injuries to persons on board. On February 18, 2003 I was discussing the incident with Mr. Jim strusaker of the NTSB. He told me that the control tower had given him information that they had recorded winds on February 15 at 2253Z changing from 000/00 to 160/10+17 and then to 300/7. It is significant to note that this information, suggesting possible wind shear, was never provided to me during the approach to landing.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON FEBRUARY 15, 2003, I, WILLAM E. CORNICK, WAS ACTING AS FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AND PILOT IN COMMAND ON A FLIGHT IN TBM 700, N700GJ, FROM THE DENVER, COLORADO, CENTENNIAL AIRPORT (APA) TO THE ASPEN, COLORADO, PITKIN COUNTY AIRPORT (ASE). THE AIRCRAFT OWNER, MR. RONNIE MORGAN, A LICENSED PILOT, WASACTING AS "PILOT FLYING". WE HAD COMPLETED A VOR DME APPROACH TO VISUAL CONDITIONS AND WERE CLEARED FOR A VISUAL APPROACH TO ASE RUNWAY 15. THE APPROACH WAS STABILIZED WITH LANDING GEAR AND FLAPS IN THE LANDING POSITION. THE APPROACH WAS NORMAL UNTIL APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET ABOVE THE RUNWAY AT WHICH TIME THE AIRPLANE ENCOUNTERED A PROBABLE WIND SHEAR OR WAKE TURBULENCE CONDITION CAUSING RAPID-ROLL TENDENCIES RIGHT AND LEFT. AS THE PILOT FLYING BEGAN HIS LANDING FLARE AT ABOUT 15 FEET ABOVE THE RUNWAY THE LEFT WING DROPPED RAPIDLY COMBINED WITH A SUDDEN HIGH SINK RATE. AS I TOOK CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE APPLYING CORRECTIVE RUDDER, AILERON, PITCH AND POWER CORRECTIONS, THE LEFT WING TIP STRUCK THE RUNWAY CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE LEFT WING TIP, AILERON, AND TRAILING EDGE WING FLAP. THE AIRPLANE WAS TAXIED TO THE RAMP WHERE WE MADE A VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE DAMAGE AND I DETERMINED THAT THE AIRPLANE SHOULD NOT BE FLOWN WITHOUT FURTHER INSPECTION BY MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL AND PROBABLE REPAIRS. THERE WAS NO APPARENT DAMAGE TO STRUCTURAL COMPONENTS SUCH AS LANDING GEAR BOX, WING SPARS, OR FUEL TANKS. THERE WAS NO FUEL LEAKAGE, NO PROPELLER STRIKE, OR INJURIES TO PERSONS ON BOARD. ON FEBRUARY 18, 2003 I WAS DISCUSSING THE INCIDENT WITH MR. JIM STRUSAKER OF THE NTSB. HE TOLD ME THAT THE CONTROL TOWER HAD GIVEN HIM INFORMATION THAT THEY HAD RECORDED WINDS ON FEBRUARY 15 AT 2253Z CHANGING FROM 000/00 TO 160/10+17 AND THEN TO 300/7. IT IS SIGNIFICANT TO NOTE THAT THIS INFORMATION, SUGGESTING POSSIBLE WIND SHEAR, WAS NEVER PROVIDED TO ME DURING THE APPROACH TO LANDING.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.