- Date
- March 8, 2012, 12:50 local (19:50 UTC)
- Place
- Fort Collins, CO
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N2986PPiper PA-18-150
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR go-around: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 21, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20120308004389A
- Case key
- 83080
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
The pilot did not maintain adequate airspeed and airplane control during the go-around, which resulted in the airplane impacting trees.
Findings · 4
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
The pilot reported that he was landing the airplane at a private landing strip on his property. The flag near the landing location indicated a calm wind. The pilot said that the airplane encountered some turbulence and wind gusts during the landing approach. He attempted a go-around and made a right turn to avoid the rising terrain. He said that he did not maintain flying speed and the airplane impacted trees and the wing spars were substantially damaged. The pilot said that there were no mechanical malfunctions with the airplane.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he was landing the airplane at a private landing strip on his property. The flag near the landing location indicated calm winds. The pilot indicated that the airplane encountered some turbulence and wind gusts during the landing approach. He attempted a go around and did not maintain flying speed. The airplane impacted trees where the airplane received substantial damage when the wings sustained spar damage. The pilot indicated that there were no mechanical malfunctions with the airplane during the flight.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2986P
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-4499
- Airframe hours
- 3,856
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2A, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 9, 2011
- Departed
- GXY · Greeley, CO
- Destination
- PVT · Fort Collins, CO
- Airport
- PVT · Private
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
- 69
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Flight hours
- 3,290 total · 1,100 in this make and model · 5,150 as pilot in command · 3 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 37 °F, dew point 14 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.45 inHg
- Observed at
- FNL, 6 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 23, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 454 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.