Gulfstream American AA-5A N9937U

Summary

On 17 January 1988 at about 02:30 local time, a Gulfstream American AA-5A registered N9937U, operated by Peterson Aero Club, was involved in an accident near Elbert, Colorado, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 died. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

17 January 1988 at 02:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Elbert, Colorado, United States

Coordinates

39.2195, -104.5306

Aircraft

Gulfstream American AA-5A

Registration

N9937U

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Peterson Aero Club

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Rapid City → Colo. Springs

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

DEN88FA054

3 people died.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH SLIGHTLY RISING TERRAIN WITH THE RT WING SLIGHTLY DOWN AND THE NOSE ATTITUDE LEVEL. FOLLOWING THE FIRST CONTACT, THE ACFT SKIPPED ABOUT 90 FT AND THE 2ND IMPACT WAS IN A MORE PRONOUNCED RT WING LOW AND NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE. THE CANOPY WAS EJECTED AND FOUND 20 FT RT AND 30 FT FWD OF THE 2ND IMPACT POINT. THE ACFT DISINTEGRATED FROM THE 2ND IMPACT POINT ALONG A 480 FT PATH WHICH WAS 147 FT WIDE. THE FRONT SEAT OCCUPANTS WERE STILL STRAPPED IN THEIR SEATS. THE REAR SEAT OCCUPANT WAS NOT STRAPPED IN AND WAS EJECTED 110 FT FROM THE MAIN WRECKAGE. THE ACFT WAS ENROUTE FROM RAPID CITY, SD TO COLORADO SPRINGS, CO. THE CRASH SITE WAS 3 MILES WEST OF ELBERT, CO. AT AN ELEVATION OF APPRX 7100 FT MSL. A WITNESS AT ELBERT, CO. SAID AT THE TIME OF THE ACC THE CLOUDS WERE 'ON THE GROUND' AND VISIBILITY WAS 'VERY POOR.' WX IN COLORADO SPRINGS WAS 100 OVERCAST 3/4 MILE VISIBILITY IN SNOW. THERE IS NO EVIDENCE THAT THE PLT CHECKED THE WX. ACFT HEADING AT IMPACT WAS AWAY FROM A HEADING TO THE FLTS DESTINATION.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.