- Date
- November 9, 2022, 10:48 local (17:48 UTC)
- Place
- Englewood, CO
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N771RGMulholland Robert A Vans RV-7
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Windshear or thunderstorm
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20221109017399A
- Case key
- 106271
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
An encounter with windshear during the initial climb after takeoff, which resulted in a loss of control. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s improper decision to takeoff with a tailwind.
Findings · 3
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, during the initial climb following a takeoff from takeoff from runway 10, the airplane encountered a wind shift that forced the airplane back to the ground and it departed the side of the runway. During the runway excursion, the airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. The pilot reported no pre-impact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Before the pilot’s departure another airplane reported windshear, a 15-20 knot gain on final for runway 35R. Low-level windshear advisories were in effect at the time of departure, and when cleared for takeoff, the controller reported the wind from 340° at 9 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N771RG
- Reported as
- Mulholland Robert A Vans RV-7
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 70746
- Built
- 2008
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-B1A, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Airport
- APA · Centennial, runway 10, 4,800 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Unknown
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
- 72
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 350° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 28 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.73 inHg
- Observed at
- KAPA, 1 nm away
- METAR
- KAPA 091753 35011KT 10SM FEW100 FEW200 12/M02 A2973
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 15, 2023, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.0 MB 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.