- Date
- June 20, 1992, 14:05 local (20:05 UTC)
- Place
- Brighton, CO
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 30, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA reports
- 19920620021221A19920620021222A
- Case key
- 18218
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 inadequate visual lookout.
The pilot's inadequate visual lookout.
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
Three airplanes, a glasair, a fairchild, and a Piper, taxied on the runway to the end for takeoff. There was no taxiway. The pilots were in radio communication had agreed to this procedure. When they reached the end of the runway the Piper taxied off onto the grass. The fairchild pilot saw the Piper on the grass but did not see the glasair; however, he assumed the glasair had also exited the runway and the fairchild pilot began his takeoff. After rolling about 100 feet the fairchild collided with the glasair.
Three airplanes, a glasair, a fairchild, and a Piper, taxied on the runway to the end for takeoff. There was no taxiway. The pilots were in radio communication and had agreed to this procedure. When they reached the end of the runway the Piper taxied off onto the grass. The fairchild pilot saw the Piper on the grass but did not see the glasair; however, he assumed the glasair had also exited the runway and the fairchild pilot began his takeoff. After rolling about 100 feet the fairchild collided with the glasair.
Aircraft · 2
- Registration
- N81229
- Reported as
- Fairchild 24W-46
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- W46-130
- Airframe hours
- 2,328
- Engine
- Continental W670-6N, 220 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Hedrick, Walter H.
- Registered owner
- Hedrick, Walter H.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 1, 1991 · 34 hours before
- Departed
- CO12
- Destination
- GXY · Greeley, CO
- Airport
- CO12 · Brighton Van-Aire Estates, runway 12, 3,950 × 50 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.
- Registration
- N32KW
- Reported as
- Wells GLASAIR-SH2 (GLASAIR-SH)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 528
- Airframe hours
- 288
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B1B, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Wells, Kenneth N.
- Registered owner
- Wells, Kenneth N.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 22, 1992 · 15 hours before
- Airport
- CO12 · Brighton Van-Aire Estates, runway 12, 3,950 × 50 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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N81229
- Age
- 72
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 13,323 total · 284 in this make and model · 12,000 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days · 11 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N32KW
- Age
- 44
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 1,454 total · 1,309 as pilot in command · 31 in the last 90 days · 11 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 80° at 2 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- DEN, 15 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 2
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.