- Date
- September 15, 1989, 13:36 local (19:36 UTC)
- Place
- Louisville, CO
- Injuries
- 3 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N63XLPiper PA-31T2
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 15, 1991
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890915035119A
- Case key
- 17608
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
Failure of the pilot to maintain adequate airspeed, while maneuvering for spacing in the traffic pattern, which resulted in an inadvertent stall at low altitude.
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 plt & 2 mechanics were on a maint test flt. As the acft was on a straight-in apch to rwy 11 from the west, the plt was advised of traffic ahead & told to slow his speed as much as possible. The plt acknowledged. About 15 sec later, the ctlr told the plt (of N63XL) to make a 360 deg turn to the left for spacing. Shortly thereafter, witnesses observed the acft enter a steep bank (turn), then go into a steep spiraling, nose down, descent & crash. No preimpact mechanical malfunction or failure of the acft or engs was found.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N63XL
- Reported as
- Piper PA-31T2
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 31T8166037
- Airframe hours
- 996
- Engine
- P&W PT6A-135, 620 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Part 91
- Registered owner
- Widefield Homes, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · September 15, 1989
- Departed
- BJC · Broomfield, CO
- Airport
- BJC · Jefferson County, runway 11, 9,000 × 100 ft, asphalt
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
- 67
- Certificates
- Commercial, Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 27,000 total · 3,500 in this make and model · 100 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 80° at 14 knots
- Visibility
- 60 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BJC, 1 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.