- Date
- August 13, 2002, 09:30 local (15:30 UTC)
- Place
- Watkins, CO
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N64796Boeing D75N1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 6, 2002
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA Flight Standards District Office
- FAA report
- 20020813023379A
- Case key
- 55464
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's improper recovery from a bounced landing, resulting in an inadvertent ground loop. A contributing factor was the flight instructor's inadequate supervision of the pilot.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The instructor said they entered the traffic pattern on the downwind leg for runway 17 (8,000 feet x 100 feet, dry asphalt), touched down "slightly tail high and bounced slightly (maybe 6 inches). The student allowed the air[plane] to turn right and bank left during the bounce. As the air[plane] touched down the second time, it swerved hard right and began to ground loop. Full left rudder and brake did not arrest the turn. The air[plane] departed the runway to the right, dragged the left wingtip (lower), turned left, dragged the right lower wing, went up on the nose, and came to rest on the propeller dome and the main gear." Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed substantial damage to the lower left wing spar, right lower wing, and upper right wing tip. The left main gear was also damaged extensively.
Factual narrative
On August 13, 2002, approximately 0930 mountain daylight time, a Boeing D75N1, N64796, was substantially damaged when the pilot lost control during a touch and go landing at Front Range Airport, Watkins, Colorado. The airline transport pilot and his passenger received no injuries. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local personal flight being conducted under Title 14 CFR Part 91. The flight originated from Centennial Airport, Englewood, Colorado, at 0900, and was landing at its destination when the accident occurred.
The instructor was in the front seat and the airplane owner who was receiving instruction was in the rear seat. The instructor said they entered the traffic pattern on the downwind leg for runway 17 (8,000 feet x 100 feet, dry asphalt). The airplane touched down "slightly tail high and bounced slightly (maybe 6 inches). The student allowed the air[plane] to turn right and bank left during the bounce. As the air[plane] touched down the second time, it swerved hard right and began to ground loop. Full left rudder and brake did not arrest the turn. The air[plane] departed the runway to the right, dragged the left wingtip (lower), turned left, dragged the right lower wing, went up on the nose, and came to rest on the propeller dome and the main gear." An oral statement made by the pilot-owner shortly after the accident corroborated the instructor's written statement.
Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed substantial damage to the lower left wing spar, right lower wing, and upper right wing tip. The left main gear was also damaged extensively.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N64796
- Reported as
- Boeing D75N1
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 75-1602
- Airframe hours
- 6,993
- Engine
- Pratt & Whitney R-985-AN, 450 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- EMB Properties Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Aerobatic
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 26, 2002 · 5 hours before
- Departed
- APA · Englewood, CO
- Destination
- FTG · Watkins, CO
- Airport
- FTG · Front Range, runway 17, 8,000 × 100 ft, asphalt
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 52
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- May 25, 2001
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 17,728 total · 150 in this make and model · 16,826 as pilot in command · 72 in the last 90 days · 24 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 72
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- January 27, 2001
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 2,323 total · 35 in this make and model · 2,275 as pilot in command · 7 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.22 inHg
- Observed at
- Den, 10 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.
Other investigations on N64796 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.