- Date
- March 31, 1983, 20:00 local (Apr 1, 1983, 03:00 UTC)
- Place
- Castle Rock, CO
- Injuries
- 2 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N4005WPiper PA-32-300
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19830331011699A
- Case key
- 15979
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
The pilot made two enroute stops at places other than planned because he was confused and disoriented. When he could notget a sectional chart he wanted he tookoff without it after one of these landings. After the second landing he took off ignoring a red light from the tower. He listened to a weather report on the acft radio and even though the weather was deteriorating he continued on trying to maintain VFR. Unaware of the high terrain between Colorado springs and denver and seeing lights to the right and left the pilot thought he was in a valley and flew into a ridge suddenly with no warning. Local residents said there was strong winds, blowing snow, and low visibility at the time and place of the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4005W
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32-300
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32-40005
- Airframe hours
- 1,478
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-K1A5, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Doyle Sturman
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · March 23, 1983 · 9 hours before
- Departed
- AAF · Colorado Sprgs, CO
- Destination
- APA · Englewood, CO
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 39
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,170 total · 12 in this make and model · 2,500 as pilot in command · 12 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 270° at 30 knots, gusting 50
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.