# NTSB CEN21LA449: Columbia Aircraft Mfg LC41-550FG, N522LG, Granby, CO, August 27, 2021 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report - Date: August 27, 2021, 13:39 local (19:39 UTC) - Place: Granby, CO - Coordinates: 40.089829, -105.91598 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.0898&lon=-105.9160&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Landing: Loss of control in flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 4 uninjured - Status: Completed - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: FAA FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 103953 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN21LA449 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/103953/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=103953 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN21LA449 ## Probable cause The pilot’s loss of control during landing in high density altitude conditions. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Performance/control parameters](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062000): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintained (probable cause); cases with it: [Columbia Aircraft Mfg LC41-550FG, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062000/cases.md?model=5150011), [All aircraft, 1,269 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062000/cases.md) - [Temp/humidity/pressure: high density altitude](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03031020): Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena · Awareness of condition (probable cause); cases with it: [Columbia Aircraft Mfg LC41-550FG, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03031020/cases.md?model=5150011), [All aircraft, 278 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03031020/cases.md) - [Use of equip/info: aircraft control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Columbia Aircraft Mfg LC41-550FG, 6 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md?model=5150011), [All aircraft, 9,295 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Landing: Loss of control in flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240) (defining event); cases with it: [Columbia Aircraft Mfg LC41-550FG, 6 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence.md?model=5150011), [All aircraft, 5,002 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence.md) ## Analysis The pilot reported that he was maneuvering to land at an airport in mountainous terrain with a field elevation of 8,203 ft mean sea level (msl). As he maneuvered to the east-southeast of the airport over rising terrain, he received a warning from the onboard avionics that he was 500 ft above ground level and two additional warnings for him to “pull up.” The pilot reported that the airplane then began to gain altitude and increase in performance. The pilot then pitched the airplane down and selected full flaps. He reported that his airspeed with in the “150s.” Of note, the maximum airspeed with flaps extended is 117 knots indicated airspeed (KIAS). The pilot continued with the approach and at the runway 1,000 ft mark, the airspeed was 130 knots, then at runway 2,000 ft mark, the airspeed was greater than 100 knots. The landing speed with flaps in the landing position is 85 to 90 KIAS. When the airplane was halfway down the runway (about 2,500 ft remaining) the pilot pressed the go-around button and advanced the throttle halfway for about two seconds before he advanced the throttle full forward. The pilot reported that the engine did not respond, and he checked the mixture and propeller controls and then examined the engine page on his digital display. When he looked outside the cockpit, the airplane had drifted to the right of the runway and continued to drift. The airplane stalled and then landed hard. The pilot reported that he thought he “experienced a wind shear situation” on landing. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the forward fuselage. The pilot did not report that there were any preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The calculated density altitude at the time of the accident was 10,743 ft. The airplane was loaded with 3 passengers for a weight of about 3,250 lbs. The combination of weight and density altitude would have affected the airplane’s ability to climb as expected by the pilot. The recommended visual pattern when arriving from the south involved flying above the midpoint of the runway to the north and make a pattern to land, to avoid overflying high terrain and noise abatement areas. The pilot reported that in the preceding two years, he regularly operated out of airfields around 4,000 ft msl. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N522LG](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N522LG), registered now, S/N 41609, built 2006 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: COLUMBIA AIRCRAFT MFG LC41-550FG - Registry model: [Columbia Aircraft Mfg LC41-550FG](https://openairdocs.org/model/columbia-aircraft-mfg-lc41-550fg) (registry code 5150011) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental TSIO-550-C](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-tsio-550-c) (registry code 17246, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 41609 - Year built: 2006 - Engines: CONT MOTOR TSIO-550-C 310 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Malooly Alan L - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Departed: KDNA, Santa Teresa, NM - Destination: Same as departure - Airport: GNB, Granby-Grand County, runway 27, 5,001 × 75 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 59; injuries: none; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 3, without waivers/limitations; last flight review October 2, 2020; seat: left; flight hours: 219 total, 141 in this make and model, 219 as pilot in command, 10.2 in the last 90 days, 4.2 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Dawn - Wind: 260° at 14 knots, gusting 17 - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Temperature: 73 °F, dew point 39 °F - Altimeter: 30.26 inHg - Observed at: KGNB - METAR: METAR KGNB 271935Z AUTO 26014G17KT 10SM SCT085 23/04 A3026 RMK AO2 T02310039= ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20210827015089A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20210827015089A), Aug 27, 2021: Columbia Aircraft Mfg LC41-550FG, Grandy, CO, Substantial damage. On August 27th, 2021, at 1339 MST near the city of granby, Colorado, airplane N522LG, a Columbia 400 model LC41-550FG suffered a hard landing at granby-grand… ## Docket (6 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 16, 2022, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=103953. 6.1 MB in all. - Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 9 pages, 1.5 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=12761084&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=NTSB%20incident%20report_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Pilot's statement (item 2, PDF, 2 pages, 192 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=12761586&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=522LG%20Grandby%20Incident%20Report_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Density altitude calculator (item 3, PDF, 1 page, 55 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=12761094&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Density%20Altitude%20Calculation-Rel.pdf - Photos (item 4, PDF, 2 pages, 2 photos, 1.2 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=12761138&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Photos%202%20cen21la449-Rel.pdf - Wind calculator (item 5, PDF, 1 page, 59 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=13228131&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=wind%20component-Rel.pdf - Granby noise abatement (item 6, PDF, 1 page, 3.2 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=13227855&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Granby-GC%20Airport%20Noise%20Abatement%20Guidelines-Rel.pdf From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.