- Date
- March 11, 2003, 12:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Buena Vista, CO
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N78559Piper PA-12
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 25, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20030311003649A
- Case key
- 56613
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 failure to maintain aircraft control. Contributing factors were the crosswind weather condition and gusty wind condition.
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
A witness said the airplane was departing on runway 15, and exited the left side of the runway and subsequently descended a steep 100 foot embankment resulting in damage to the left wing and fuselage. The pilot said that a "gust of wind hit me just as I was lifting off." The local meteorologist said that the wind was 210 to 270 degrees at 15 knots and gusts to 21 knots..
Factual narrative
On March 11, 2003, at approximately 1200 mountain standard time, a Piper PA-12, N78559, was substantially damaged during takeoff from Central Colorado Regional Airport, Buena Vista, Colorado. The private pilot, the sole occupant in the airplane, was not injured. The airplane was being operated under Title 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the cross-country flight that was originating at the time of the accident. The pilot had not filed a flight plan.
A witness said the airplane was departing on runway 15, and exited the left side of the runway and went down a steep 100 foot embankment. The pilot said that a "gust of wind hit me just as I was lifting off." The local meteorologist said that the wind was 210 to 270 degrees 15 knots, gusting to 21 knots. The airplane's left wing was bent down, and the fuselage was bent and twisted.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N78559
- Reported as
- Piper PA-12
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- N78559
- Airframe hours
- 1,449
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- John M. Cogswell
- Registered owner
- Open a Flying Services Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 12, 2002 · 5 hours before
- Departed
- 7V1 · Buena Vista, CO
- Destination
- APA · Denver, CO
- Airport
- 7V1 · BUENA VISTA MUNI Arpt, runway 15, 8,300 × 75 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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 63
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- June 2, 2002
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 491 total · 358 in this make and model · 355 as pilot in command · 4 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 15 knots, gusting 21
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 19 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.92 inHg
- Observed at
- LXV, 32 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.