- Date
- September 24, 1996, 20:30 local (Sep 25, 1996, 02:30 UTC)
- Place
- Falcon, CO
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N41369Piper PA28-151
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report February 18, 1997
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19960924046989A
- Case key
- 19989
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
Failure by the pilot to select suitable terrain for landing. Factors were inadequate preflight planning and preparation for the flight by the pilot by failing to check NOTAMS and failing to use communication aids available to him.
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
After a night local area personal flight, the pilot was attempting to land at the airport of departure and could not turn on the runway lights by use of the UNICOM. He attempted to land without this aid and the landing was made in a ditch between the runway and taxiway. During landing roll the aircraft struck a culvert. The frequency for the UNICOM had been changed several weeks earlier and this change had been published in NOTAMS, and local air traffic control and flight service had the change published in controller instructions. No evidence was found that the pilot attempted to contact these facilities. Lighting and weather at the time was clear skies and dark night lighting.
Factual narrative
On September 24, 1996, at 2030 mountain daylight time, a Piper PA28-151, N41369, landed in a ditch between the runway and taxiway at Meadow Lake Airport (00V), Falcon, Colorado. The private pilot and his passenger were not injured and the aircraft sustained substantial damage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for this Title 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight and no flight plan was filed. The flight departed Meadow Lake at 1930.
The pilot stated that he could not activate the runway lights and was attempting to land without their aid. The touchdown was in a ditch beside the runway and the aircraft struck a culvert during landing roll causing damage to the propeller, engine cowling, left wing, and nose landing gear.
At the time of the accident, weather and light conditions were clear skies with dark night lighting.
The UNICOM frequency, by which the pilot can activate the lights from his aircraft, had been changed several weeks earlier and this change had been published in NOTAMS (notice to airmen) and was properly listed in controller information at Colorado Springs Municipal Airport Tower (10 miles west of Meadow Lake), Colorado Springs Approach Control and Flight Service. The pilot stated that he was unaware of the frequency change and had not checked NOTAMS prior to departure. In addition, no evidence was found that he attempted to contact any of the above facilities.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N41369
- Reported as
- Piper PA28-151
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-7515370
- Airframe hours
- 3,530
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D2A, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Classic Air, LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · August 14, 1996 · 59 hours before
- Departed
- 00V
- Airport
- 00V · Meadow Lake, runway 15, 6,000 × 60 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
- 22
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 100 total · 69 in this make and model · 31 as pilot in command · 5 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 70° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- COS, 10 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.