# NTSB DEN01LA007: Piper PA-34-200T, N238Z, Fort Collins, CO, October 28, 2000 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: October 28, 2000, 07:35 local (13:35 UTC) - Place: Fort Collins, CO - Coordinates: 40.520545, -105.140647 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.5205&lon=-105.1406&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Approach](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/500) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report July 17, 2001 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 50553 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=DEN01LA007 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/50553/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN01LA007 ## Probable cause Failure by the pilot to follow instrument approach procedures and execute a missed approach when the runway environment was not in sight at decision height. A factor was low ceiling. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - In flight collision with terrain/water, approach - faf/outer marker to threshold (ifr) - weather condition - low ceiling (contributing factor) - ifr procedure - not followed, pilot in command (cause) ## Analysis The pilot was executing an ILS approach to an uncontrolled airport in low visibility conditions. He had his landing light and strobe lights on and failed to activate the pilot controlled runway lights. When his passenger informed him she saw lights, he went visual and could not see either the ground or runway environment. The aircraft drifted right and impacted the ground approximately 800 feet right and 1,000 feet down the runway. The landing gear collapsed and the aircraft slid to a stop on a taxiway adjacent to the ramp area. ## Factual narrative On October 28, 2000, at 0735 mountain daylight time, a Piper PA-34-200T, N238Z, sustained substantial damage when it impacted the ground approximately 800 feet east and 1,000 feet down runway 33 at Fort Collins/Loveland Municipal Airport, Fort Collins, Colorado, during an instrument landing system (ILS) approach. The private certificated, instrument rated, pilot and his passenger were not injured. The flight was operating on an IFR flight plan under Title 14 CFR Part 91 and had departed Colorado Springs, Colorado, at 0645. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. According to the automated weather observation service (AWOS), the Fort Collins weather, when the accident occurred, was 100 foot overcast skies with 1/4-mile visibility. The wind was calm and the temperature/dew point was 43/41 degrees Fahrenheit. Fort Collins/Loveland Airport is an uncontrolled airport. According to the pilot, he had both his strobe lights and landing lights on during the approach and forgot to turn on the pilot activated runway lights. When he was approaching minimum descent altitude, he asked his passenger if she saw any lights. She said she did, and he said he went visual at that point and could not see the ground or runway environment. The pilot continued the descent and the aircraft drifted right of the runway and impacted the ground. The landing gear collapsed and the airplane slid to a stop on the taxiway adjacent to the parking ramp area on the east side of the airport. The pilot said the visibility had deteriorated to a point that it took several minutes to locate and walk to the fixed base operator facilities (FBO), even though he was familiar with the airport. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N238Z](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N238Z-2018-01-16), registration cancelled 2018-01-16, S/N 34-8070282, built 1980 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Piper PA-34-200T - Registry model: [Piper PA-34-200T](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-34-200t) (registry code 7103406) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental TSIO-360 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-tsio-360-series) (registry code 17019, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 34-8070282 - Airframe hours: 3107 - Engines: Continental TSIO-360-EB 200 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Gregory R. Whitehead - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: 100 hour, October 26, 2000, 4 hours before - Departed: COS, COLO. SPRINGS, CO - Destination: FNL - Airport: FNL, Fort Collins/Loveland, runway 33, 8,500 × 100 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 39; private; airplane ratings: multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; seat: left; flight hours: 807 total, 125 in this make and model, 587 as pilot in command, 43 in the last 90 days, 18 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Instrument (IMC), Dawn - Wind: 35° at 3 knots - Visibility: 0.25 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 100 ft overcast - Temperature: 109 °F, dew point 106 °F - Altimeter: 29.00 inHg - Observed at: FNL ## 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 20001028019029A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20001028019029A), Oct 28, 2000: Piper PA34200T, Fort Collins, CO, No damage. (-23)The pilot proceeded below minimum descent altitude during an instrument approach to fnl, and impacted to ground approx. 600 feet down and 500 feet right… 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.