What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On October 1, 2025 at 10:12Z, a Piper PA-28R-200 aarow, impacted terrain approximately 4.54 nautical miles north of runway 35L at the Colorado Springs municipal airport (kcos). Weather at the time of incident was VMC conditions with winds 310/5. The aircraft was loaded with the PIC, two passengers and their baggage as well as full fuel (50 GAL/300LBS). According to the current weight and balance sheet the aircraft was loaded within the CG range and 173 lbs under the gross weight limit (max gross takeoff 2650 lbs, PIC calculated 2477 lbs). PIC performed a normal takeoff from runway 35L at the A4 intersection. After climbing to approximately 100 feet above ground level (AGL) the pilot noticed that the aircraft was not climbing as expected. The pilot stated that the emergency checklist items were completed to ensure the throttle was full, propeller full, mixture as required. It should be noted that the pilot never retracted the landing gear. As the aircraft continued a north heading the pilot stated that the aircraft was not climbing and that the aircraft was only about 100 feet above ground. At this point, PIC stated to the passengers that they might have to land on a road. Shortly after that the PIC noticed the ground getting closer and made a mayday call. The aircraft abruptly banked to the left and the nose dropped. The left wing impacted the ground then the rest of the fuselage impacted the ground in an upright position. After sliding the left wing impacted a power pole which sent the aircraft spinning in a left direction (upright on the belly) until it was stopped by another power pole. After the aircraft came to a rest the engine was still running. The PIC shutdown the aircraft and then all occupants evacuated the aircraft. One occupant reported a minor injury. The PIC did not account for rising terrain immediately to the north of the airport. The aircraft departed 35L at approximately 6184 feet of ground elevation. The aircraft came to rest where the ground elevation was approximately 6749 feet, only 4.54 nautical miles to the north from where the takeoff occurred. Factors contributing to the loss of overall aircraft performance were not raising the landing gear, possible temperature inversion, possible/probable slipped condition on climbout by not using enough right rudder and light winds from the north (downsloping winds) may have caused slight downdrafts.
As the FAA filed it
ON OCTOBER 1, 2025 AT 10:12Z, A PIPER PA-28R-200 AAROW, IMPACTED TERRAIN APPROXIMATELY 4.54 NAUTICAL MILES NORTH OF RUNWAY 35L AT THE COLORADO SPRINGS MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (KCOS). WEATHER AT THE TIME OF INCIDENT WAS VMC CONDITIONS WITH WINDS 310/5. THE AIRCRAFT WAS LOADED WITH THE PIC, TWO PASSENGERS AND THEIR BAGGAGE AS WELL AS FULL FUEL (50 GAL/300LBS). ACCORDING TO THE CURRENT WEIGHT AND BALANCE SHEET THE AIRCRAFT WAS LOADED WITHIN THE CG RANGE AND 173 LBS UNDER THE GROSS WEIGHT LIMIT (MAX GROSS TAKEOFF 2650 LBS, PIC CALCULATED 2477 LBS). PIC PERFORMED A NORMAL TAKEOFF FROM RUNWAY 35L AT THE A4 INTERSECTION. AFTER CLIMBING TO APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL (AGL) THE PILOT NOTICED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS NOT CLIMBING AS EXPECTED. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE EMERGENCY CHECKLIST ITEMS WERE COMPLETED TO ENSURE THE THROTTLE WAS FULL, PROPELLER FULL, MIXTURE AS REQUIRED. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT THE PILOT NEVER RETRACTED THE LANDING GEAR. AS THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED A NORTH HEADING THE PILOT STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS NOT CLIMBING AND THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS ONLY ABOUT 100 FEET ABOVE GROUND. AT THIS POINT, PIC STATED TO THE PASSENGERS THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE TO LAND ON A ROAD. SHORTLY AFTER THAT THE PIC NOTICED THE GROUND GETTING CLOSER AND MADE A MAYDAY CALL. THE AIRCRAFT ABRUPTLY BANKED TO THE LEFT AND THE NOSE DROPPED. THE LEFT WING IMPACTED THE GROUND THEN THE REST OF THE FUSELAGE IMPACTED THE GROUND IN AN UPRIGHT POSITION. AFTER SLIDING THE LEFT WING IMPACTED A POWER POLE WHICH SENT THE AIRCRAFT SPINNING IN A LEFT DIRECTION (UPRIGHT ON THE BELLY) UNTIL IT WAS STOPPED BY ANOTHER POWER POLE. AFTER THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO A REST THE ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING. THE PIC SHUTDOWN THE AIRCRAFT AND THEN ALL OCCUPANTS EVACUATED THE AIRCRAFT. ONE OCCUPANT REPORTED A MINOR INJURY. THE PIC DID NOT ACCOUNT FOR RISING TERRAIN IMMEDIATELY TO THE NORTH OF THE AIRPORT. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED 35L AT APPROXIMATELY 6184 FEET OF GROUND ELEVATION. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST WHERE THE GROUND ELEVATION WAS APPROXIMATELY 6749 FEET, ONLY 4.54 NAUTICAL MILES TO THE NORTH FROM WHERE THE TAKEOFF OCCURRED. FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE LOSS OF OVERALL AIRCRAFT PERFORMANCE WERE NOT RAISING THE LANDING GEAR, POSSIBLE TEMPERATURE INVERSION, POSSIBLE/PROBABLE SLIPPED CONDITION ON CLIMBOUT BY NOT USING ENOUGH RIGHT RUDDER AND LIGHT WINDS FROM THE NORTH (DOWNSLOPING WINDS) MAY HAVE CAUSED SLIGHT DOWNDRAFTS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.