- Date
- January 8, 2004, 14:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Glade Park, CO
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N57534Piper PA-18-150
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 2, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA FSSO
- FAA report
- 20040108000479A
- Case key
- 58686
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 inadequate in-flight planning/decision. Contributing factors include the pilot's selection of unsuitable terrain for landing and the snow covered terrain.
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
Due to low clouds and visibility at the destination airport, the pilot diverted to a local air park. While circling for landing, the pilot noted that the field was snow-covered; however, he could see vegetation through the snow and bare ground where snowmobiles had made several turns. During the landing, the main landing gear sank in the deep snow and the airplane nosed over, substantially damaging the airplane.
Factual narrative
On January 8, 2004, at approximately 1400 mountain standard time, a Piper PA-18-150, N57534, was substantially damaged when it nosed over during landing at Pinyon Air Park (CO43), Glade Park, Colorado. The private pilot, the sole occupant on board, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The personal, cross-country flight was being conducted under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91. No flight plan had been filed for the flight that departed Blanding, Utah, at approximately 1230.
According to the accident report submitted by the pilot, he was en route to Grand Junction, Colorado. Due to low clouds and visibility in Grand Junction, the pilot diverted to Pinyon Air Park. While circling for landing, the pilot noted that the field was snow covered; however, he could see vegetation through the snow and bare ground where snowmobiles had made several turns.
During the landing, the main landing gear sank in the deep snow and the airplane nosed over. The vertical stabilizer and rudder was crushed and the left wing was bent.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N57534
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-7809090
- Airframe hours
- 2,400
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 3, 2003 · 212 hours before
- Departed
- BDG · Blanding, UT
- Destination
- CO43 · Glade Park, CO
- Airport
- CO43 · Pinyon
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
- 60
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- April 8, 2002
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 2,300 total · 2,100 in this make and model · 2,300 as pilot in command · 30 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 3 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 600 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 25 °F, dew point 21 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.45 inHg
- Observed at
- GJT, 12 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.