- Date
- August 16, 1982, 06:00 local (12:00 UTC)
- Place
- 15mi. Ne Of Chr, CO
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N3072ZPiper PA-28RT-201T
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 16, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 69624
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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
While en route, the engine began to lose power, and subsequently, there was a total power loss. The pilot landed in a small clearing, but during the landing roll, the right main gear hit a large rock. The gear failed and punctured a hole in the fuel tank. The aircraft stopped near the edge of a cliff. The pilot reported that after stopping, he saw a trail of flame about 8 inches wide heading toward the plane. He stated that he jumped out over the wing and down the cliff, then a few moments later there were 2 loud explosions. The aircraft was completely destroyed by a post crash fire. The pilot stayed with the plane until the next day, then elected to walk out. He reported becoming disoriented and spent 3 days in the mountains before reaching help. The plane crashed at an elevation of about 9500 ft.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3072Z
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28RT-201T (PA-28RT-20)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28R79311783
- Airframe hours
- 1,450
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-360-FB, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Robert C. Herschman
- Registered owner
- Rollin Willcoxson
- Departed
- P16 · Mesa, AZ
- Destination
- IML · Imperial, NE
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
- 27
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 711 total · 75 in this make and model · 680 as pilot in command · 23 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Temperature
- 140 °F