Piper PA-22-150 N4540A

Summary

On 24 July 1999 at about 15:00 local time, a Piper PA-22-150 registered N4540A was involved in an accident near Limon, Colorado, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

24 July 1999 at 15:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Limon, Colorado, United States

Coordinates

39.2599, -103.6800

Aircraft

Piper PA-22-150

Registration

N4540A

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Lamar

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DEN99LA128

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's selection of the wrong runway for takeoff. Factors were a direct tailwind and high density altitude that deteriorated the airplane's climb capability, and unsuitable terrain on which to make a forced landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

One notch of flaps (half flaps) were used for the takeoff from runway 34. METAR wind was from 160 degrees at 6 knots. As the airplane passed over the departure end of the runway, it began to 'sag.' The pilot made a forced landing in a field. To avoid a ditch, he intentionally forced the airplane onto the ground, crossing the controls. Density altitude was computed to be 7,690 feet mean sea level.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.