- Date
- April 23, 1996, 12:52 local (18:52 UTC)
- Place
- Watkins, CO
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N68UWhistle Questair Venture M20
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 6, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19960423008299A
- Case key
- 19814
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 failure to compensate for prevailing wind conditions and to maintain directional control. Factors were the gusting and quartering tailwind conditions.
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 said that as power was applied during his takeoff roll on runway 17, the left wing dropped due to engine torque. A right wind gust caused the airplane to swerve to the left and depart the runway. The nose wheel retract link broke when the nose wheel rolled into the dirt and the landing gear folded back, causing the airplane to nose over. The wind was from 320 degrees at 8 knots, with gusts to 16.
Factual narrative
On April 23, 1996, at 1252 mountain daylight time, a Whistle Questair Venture M20, N68U, sustained substantial damage while on takeoff roll at Front Range Airport, Watkins, Colorado. The private pilot/owner of the aircraft sustained minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for this local area personal flight operating under Title 14 CFR Part 91. No flight plan was filed. The flight originated at the time of the accident.
The pilot said he began his takeoff roll on runway 17. As power was applied, the left wing dropped due to the engine torque. A right wind gust caused the airplane to swerve to the left and depart the runway. The nose wheel retract link broke when the nose wheel rolled into the dirt and the landing gear folded back, causing the airplane to nose over.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N68U
- Reported as
- Whistle Questair Venture M20 (QUESTAIR V)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 68
- Airframe hours
- 38
- Engine
- Continental IO-550-G1B, 280 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Paul L. Whistle
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 11, 1995 · 5 hours before
- Departed
- FTG
- Destination
- BJC · Broomfield, CO
- Airport
- FTG · Front Range, runway 17, 8,000 × 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
- 71
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,184 total · 36 in this make and model · 1,870 as pilot in command · 41 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 320° at 8 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- DEN, 7 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.