Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Boulder, Colorado 80302
Tuesady, August 20, 1996 13:10 MDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
Numerous witnesses at about 7,000 feet elevation observed the airplane flying at low altitude in mountainous terrain. The airplane struck power lines and trees while attempting to climb through a steep narrow canyon. The pilot possessed a student pilot certificate and was carrying his son as a passenger. He had recently moved to Colorado from Long Island, New York. The pilot's flight instructor, who had ferried the airplane from Long Island to Colorado, cautioned him that his airplane 'was not good for Colorado' because it was underpowered. The instructor also 'strongly encouraged' the pilot to get a mountain checkout. A low level of tetrahydrocannabinol carboxylic acid (active metabolite of marijuana) was detected in the pilot's blood. The same substance was detected in the passenger's urine.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's poor judgment in attempting low altitude flight in mountainous terrain without adequate mountain flying training which led to low altitude maneuvering exceeding the climb capability of the airplane. Factors in the accident were: the pilot's overconfidence in his personal ability, lack of experience in flying in mountainous terrain, lack of familiarity with the geographic area, and the mountainous and canyon-featured terrain.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/20/1996 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 1310 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Daylight Time |
| Event City | BOULDER |
| Event State | COLORADO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 80302 |
| Event Date Year | 1996 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1248 Mountain Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 139 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | BJC |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 5671 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 11 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 27000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 20 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 29 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 10 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 90 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 6 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 8155 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | 2 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 999 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Aug 20 1996 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1400 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 8 2000 10:17AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N6505L |
| NTSB Number | FTW96FA352 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | Ground |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Grumman American |
| Aircraft Model | AA-1B |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | AA-1B |
| Aircraft Serial Number | AA1B-0305 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1560 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Aug 1 1996 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | EDWARD M. LONGO |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 16 ARROWHEAD LA. |
| Aircraft Owner City | SETAUKET |
| Aircraft Owner State | NY |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 11733 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 45 BENTHAVEN PL. |
| Operator City | BOULDER |
| Operator State | CO |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 80303 |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | 1V5 |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | CO |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1000 |
| Departure Time Zone | MDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Climb |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:34AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |