Whistle QUESTAIR VENTURE M20 N68U
23 April 1996 · Watkins, Colorado, United States · Minor injuries
Summary
On 23 April 1996 at about 18:52 local time, a Whistle QUESTAIR VENTURE M20 registered N68U was involved in an accident near Watkins, Colorado, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 18:52
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Watkins, Colorado, United States
- Nearest airport
- Front Range (FTG)
- Coordinates
- 39.7505, -104.6007
- Aircraft
- Whistle QUESTAIR VENTURE M20
- Registration
- N68U
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Unknown → Broomfield
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- FTW96LA180
People
1 person had minor injuries.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
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.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
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.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 Sep 1996 | Piper PA28-151 | Falcon, Colorado, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 24 Aug 1996 | Cessna TR182 | Telluride, Colorado, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 28 Sep 1996 | Piper PA-30 | Watkins, Colorado, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 6 Jan 1996 | Learjet 60 | Aspen, Colorado, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 30 Sep 1996 | Israel 1125 WESTWIND ASTRA | Aspen, Colorado, United States | Emery Air Charter | No injuries | - |
| 12 Jan 1996 | Piper PA-28-181 | Collbran, Colorado, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |