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20050819023699A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Piper PA-32-300 · Vail, CO · August 19, 2005

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
August 19, 2005 · 09:50 local
Place
Vail, CO
Phase of flight
Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N4222R
NTSB investigation
NTSBDEN05FA128
Reported as
Piper PA32300
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
700 total600 in this make and model20 in the last 90 days
N4222RRegistration cancelled Jul 14, 2007 · Piper PA-32-300S/N 32-40587 · Built 1969Airframe modelPiper PA-32-300Engine modelLycoming TI0-540 seriesTurbo-prop

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) On August 19, 2005, approximately 0950 mountain daylight time, a Piper PA-32-300, N4222R operated by private pilot privacy data omitted was destroyed when it impacted terrain 8 miles west of Vail, Colorado. VMC conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The aircraft was flying over eastbound over interstate 70, just west of Vail pass which is about 10,000 feet MSL, and had not filed a flight plan. According to witnesses the aircraft had descended in order to view or film a race that was going down hill west bound south of the eastbound lane of I-70. Apparently, the rate of climb of the aircraft could not match that of the terrain, and the aircraft touched down in the eastbound lane and impacted a road sign at the dividing barrier. The airplane crossed the dividing barrier, traveled across both westbound lanes and continued upslope into sapling trees. The pilot was critically injured and the passenger sustained minor injuries. According to the passenger, there were down drafts which kept the aircraft from being able to climb over the pass. Temperature at the time was 57 f and density altitude was calculated to be 11,067 feet. Airworthiness of the aircraft was not considered a factor.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON AUGUST 19, 2005, APPROXIMATELY 0950 MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-32-300, N4222R OPERATED BY PRIVATE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMIT^ WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT IMPACTED TERRAIN 8 MILES WEST OF VAIL, COLORADO. VMC CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS FLYING OVER EASTBOUND OVER INTERSTATE 70, JUST WEST OF VAIL PASS WHICH IS ABOUT 10,000 FEET MSL, AND HAD NOT FILED A FLIGHT PLAN. ACCORDING TO WITNESSES THE AIRCRAFT HAD DESCENDED IN ORDER TO VIEW OR FILM A RACE THAT WAS GOING DOWN HILL WEST BOUND SOUTH OF THE EASTBOUND LANE OF I-70. APPARENTLY, THE RATE OF CLIMB OF THE AIRCRAFT COULD NOT MATCH THAT OF THE TERRAIN, AND THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN IN THE EASTBOUND LANE AND IMPACTED A ROAD SIGN AT THE DIVIDING BARRIER. THE AIRPLANE CROSSED THE DIVIDING BARRIER, TRAVELED ACROSS BOTH WESTBOUND LANES AND CONTINUED UPSLOPE INTO SAPLING TREES. THE PILOT WAS CRITICALLY INJURED AND THE PASSENGER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. ACCORDING TO THE PASSENGER, THERE WERE DOWN DRAFTS WHICH KEPT THE AIRCRAFT FROM BEING ABLE TO CLIMB OVER THE PASS. TEMPERATURE AT THE TIME WAS 57 F AND DENSITY ALTITUDE WAS CALCULATED TO BE 11,067 FEET. AIRWORTHINESS OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS NOT CONSIDERED A FACTOR.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB DEN05FA128Accident · Serious injuriesField investigationFinal reportVail, COthe pilot's improper in-flight planning and decision making and failure to maintain clearance from the terrain. Contributing factors include the pilot's attempt to takeoff from the highway, high density altitude, the downdrafts, and the sign.Aug 19, 2005 · Destroyed