- Date
- October 4, 1987, 18:30 local (Oct 5, 1987, 00:30 UTC)
- Place
- Fowler, CO
- Injuries
- 2 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N8563VBellanca 7ECA
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 7, 1988
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19871004058529A
- Case key
- 17337
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
During a pleasure flight the pilot flew too low over the Arkansas river, collided with powerlines and crashed into the river. The pilot stated he could not see well due to the setting sun in his eyes. The pilot and his passenger received serious injuries and the aircraft was destroyed.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8563V
- Reported as
- Bellanca 7ECA
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1054-74
- Airframe hours
- 621
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-C1, 115 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Phillip W. Switser
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 31, 1987 · 62 hours before
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
- 32
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 103 total · 29 in this make and model · 56 as pilot in command · 29 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 19 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- LHX, 30 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.