Piper PA-28-161 N8102C

Summary

On 15 July 1990 at about 15:05 local time, a Piper PA-28-161 registered N8102C, operated by Russell I. Erickson, was involved in an accident near Garfield, Colorado, United States. 2 people were on board and one died, one was seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

15 July 1990 at 15:05

Classification

Accident

Location

Garfield, Colorado, United States

Coordinates

38.5492, -106.2906

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-161

Registration

N8102C

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Russell I. Erickson

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Colorado Spring → Sacramento

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW90FA141

1 person died.

THE PILOT'S DECISION TO FLY INTO THE MOUNTAIN PASS AND THE SUBSEQUENT INABILITY TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE GROUND CLEARANCE.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

WITNESSES OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE 1/2 MILE AWAY FROM MONARCH PASS, FLYING TOWARD THE PASS. THEY SAID IT PASSED UNDER HIGH VALTAGE POWER LINES THAT WERE ACROSS THE VALLEY, FLYING JUST ABOVE THE TREES. IT STARTED A NOSE HIGH RIGHT TURN. THEN ABRUPTLY TURNED LEFT, AND DROPPED NOSE DOWN TOWARD THE TREES. IT IMPACTED AT 10,800 FEET MSL. DENSITY ALTITUDE WAS CALCULATED AT 13,200 FEET. MONARCH PASS IS 11,312 FEET MSL. THE GROSS WEIGHT AND THE CG WERE WITHIN LIMITS. NO PRE-IMPACT PROBLEMS COULD BE FOUND WITH THE AIRPLANE OR ENGINE.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.