- Date
- December 27, 1986, 09:26 local (16:26 UTC)
- Place
- Gilcrest, CO
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N78475Piper PA-12-150
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19861227071599A
- Case key
- 17085
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Analysis
The plt made a low pass at aprx 200 ft AGL & waved at TW0 friends who were duck hunting. He then made a 2nd pass at aprx 150 ft & left the area. About 10 min later, the acft returned & was seen flying down a river at tree top level. The acft struck 3 of 4 power lines & crashed on a sand bar in the middle of the river.
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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N78475
- Reported as
- Piper PA-12-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 12-1986
- Airframe hours
- 1,157
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Max R. Hoffman
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 2, 1986 · 4 hours before
- Departed
- 3V5 · Fort Collins, CO
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
- 51
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 7,000 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 320° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 60 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 30 °F, dew point 18 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BJC, 24 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.