- Date
- November 2, 2008, 11:11 local (18:11 UTC)
- Place
- Colorado Springs, CO
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N18338Piper PA18-150
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 22, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20081102851199A
- Case key
- 69523
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
Loss of directional control due to an encounter with a weather phenomena at rotation.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
According to the pilot, he was attempting to depart from an unimproved private airstrip. As the airplane rotated for lift-off at 35 to 40 miles per hour, it was "hit by a dust devil." The airplane rotated ninety degrees to the right and the application of full opposite control inputs failed to re-establish directional control. The airplane impacted terrain, causing the left landing gear to collapse, followed by the collapse of the right landing gear and resulting in multiple propeller ground strikes. The airplane sustained a bent right wing spar. The pilot reported the weather conditions at the time of the accident as a variable 7- to 10-knot wind, gusting to 12 to 15 knots. An hourly weather observation taken at the time of the accident 39 miles west of the accident site showed the wind to be 170 at four knots.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, he was attempting to depart from an unimproved private airstrip. As the airplane rotated for lift-off at 35 to 40 miles per hour, it was "hit by a dust devil." The airplane rotated ninety degrees to the right and the application of full opposite control inputs failed to re-establish directional control. The airplane impacted terrain causing the left landing gear to collapse, followed by the collapse of the right landing gear, which resulted in multiple propeller ground strikes. The airplane sustained a bent right wing spar. The pilot reported the weather conditions at the time of the accident as a variable seven to ten knot wind, gusting to 12 to 15 knots. An hourly weather observation taken at the time of the accident 39 miles west of the accident site showed the wind to be 170 at four knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N18338
- Reported as
- Piper PA18-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-8285
- Airframe hours
- 4,500
- Engine
- Lycoming 0-320 A2B, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Conrad Lapp
- Registered owner
- Conrad Lapp
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 27, 2007
- Departed
- KCOS · Colorado Spring, CO
- Destination
- Rush, CO
- Airport
- N/A · Private airstrip
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 67
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 19, 2008
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 1,046 total · 101 in this make and model · 892 as pilot in command · 36 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.95 inHg
- Observed at
- KCOS, 29 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.