- Date
- November 17, 1991, 17:05 local (Nov 18, 1991, 00:05 UTC)
- Place
- Greeley, CO
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N9811CPiper PA-28-161
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report May 7, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19911117052059A
- Case key
- 18179
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 NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
A partial loss of engine power on initial takeoff climb due to a bent and loose carburetor heat control mechanism.
Analysis
During initial climb, following takeoff after conducting several touch and go landings, the engine lost partial power. Flight could not be maintained and the certified flight instructor took over control and landed the airplane in a field. During landing roll, the aircraft entered a freshly plowed area which was soft and the airplane nosed over.
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
- N9811C
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-161
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 78-16532
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D3G, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- P.C. Flyers
- Airport
- GXY · Weld County
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
- 25
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 540 total · 10 in this make and model · 398 as pilot in command · 86 in the last 90 days · 43 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 230° at 4 knots, gusting 1
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Observed at
- GXY, 3 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.