- Date
- January 30, 1990, 12:15 local (19:15 UTC)
- Place
- Broomfield, CO
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9172YPiper PA-28-161
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 30, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900130001359A
- Case key
- 17886
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
The pilot's encounter with severe turbulence during landing, and his failure to divert to an alternate airport after becoming aware of the wind conditions. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's low level of experience.
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 reported that as he landed, the plane was struck by severe turbulence and he lost directional control. He said the plane departed the runway to the left and ran parallel to the runway, striking a directional sign and 3 runway lights. The left landing gear collapsed when the plane struck the raised edge of an intersection. The plane came to rest in a ditch between the runway and 'alpha' taxiway. The control tower was reporting severe turbulence in the local area at the time of the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9172Y
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-161
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-8616034
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D39A, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Hoffman Pilot Center
- Airport
- BJC · Jefferson County, runway 11L, 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
- 36
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 74 total · 4 in this make and model · 3 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 110° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 70 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.