- Date
- August 6, 1995, 11:43 local (17:43 UTC)
- Place
- Hudson, CO
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N7415WPiper PA-28-180
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 30, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950806022069A
- Case key
- 19526
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 loss of engine power for undetermined reasons. A factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.
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 took off and turned onto the crosswind leg. At an altitude of 500 feet, the engine lost power. The pilot turned towards an open field and managed to restart the engine, but it lost power again. The pilot realized he would be unable to land in his chosen field. The airplane 'touched down hard and bounced' over an embankment. The landing gear was torn off and the airplane skidded on its fuselage before colliding with railroad tracks. The engine and accessories were later examined. No discrepancies were found.
Factual narrative
On August 6, 1995, approximately 1143 mountain daylight time, a Piper PA-28-180, N7415W, was destroyed during a forced landing at Hudson, Colorado. The private pilot received minor injuries. The flight was originating at the time of the accident. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight.
The following is based on the pilot/operator report. The pilot took off and turned onto the crosswind leg. At an altitude of 500 feet, the engine lost power. The pilot turned towards an open field and managed to restart the engine, but it lost power again. The pilot realized he would be unable to land in his chosen field. The airplane "touched down hard and bounced" over an embankment. The landing gear was torn off and the airplane skidded on its fuselage before colliding with railroad tracks.
The engine and accessories were later examined. No discrepancies were found.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7415W
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-1303
- Airframe hours
- 2,722
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A3A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Gerald E. & Janet I. Coe
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 23, 1994 · 149 hours before
- Departed
- 18V
- Destination
- GXY · Greeley, CO
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
- 53
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 185 total · 159 in this make and model · 158 as pilot in command · 47 in the last 90 days · 13 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 70° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- GXY, 20 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.