Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Falcon, Colorado 80912
Friday, April 16, 1993 22:17 MDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

AT APPROXIMATELY 2210 MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT TIME A STUDENT DEPARTED COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO, ON A STUDENT CROSS COUNTRY SOLO FLIGHT. THE STUDENT HAD 22 HOURS TOTAL FLIGHT TIME AND THIS WAS HIS FIRST SOLO CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT. THE STUDENT RECEIVED A WEATHER BRIEF AT APPROXIMATELY 1827 THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT AND THE INSTRUCTOR HAD RECEIVED A WEATHER BRIEF ON BEHALF OF THE STUDENT AT 0635 THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT. BOTH WEATHER BRIEFS INDICATED WEATHER PATTERNS COULD BE EXPECTED TO BE IN THE AREA NORTH OF COLORADO SPRINGS DURING THE TIME PERIOD ENCOMPASSING THE ACCIDENT. THE BRIEFS INDICATED THAT THE WEATHER WAS EXPECTED TO BE VISUAL CONDITIONS CLEAR OF CLOUDS. THE STUDENT PILOT HAD RECEIVED NO INSTRUMENT TRAINING AND THE FLIGHT ENCOUNTERED INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS AND RADAR AND VOICE CONTACT WAS LOST AT APPROXIMATELY 2217, 17 MILES NORTH OF COLORADO SPRINGS. THE AIRCARFT IMPACTED INTO OPEN TERRAIN AND WITNESS WEATHER OBSRVATIONS INDICATED LOW CEILINGS AND REDUCED VISIBILITY.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

INADEQUATE SUPERVISION OF THE STUDENT PILOT BY THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR. FACTORS WERE: IMC WEATHER CONDITIONS, DARK NIGHT, INACCURATE WEATHER EVALUATION BY BOTH THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT PILOT, AND INADEQUATE TRAINING OF THE STUDENT PILOT.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 4/16/1993
Event Day of the Week Friday
Time of Event 2217
Event Time Zone Mountain Daylight Time
Event City FALCON
Event State COLORADO
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 80912
Event Date Year 1993
Event Date Month 4
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 Full
Investigator's weather source Witness
Time of the weather observation 0
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID
Elevation of weather observation facility 0
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation
Lighting Conditions Night/Dark
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Unknown
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) --
Visibility (Statute Miles) 0.1
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) --
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 0
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 0
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) --
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Heavy
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 1
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 790
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date May 1 1993 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1730
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 18 2002 11:28AM
User who most recently changed record NTSB\GIUV
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N7536R
NTSB Number DEN93FA042
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed VFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire Ground
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name PIPER
Aircraft Model PA-28-140
Aircraft Series Identifier PA-28-140
Aircraft Serial Number 28-22098
Certified Max Gross Weight 2050
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 100 Hour
Date of Last Inspection Feb 25 1993 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours 3683
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name LIVINGSTON, WAGER, AND CRUM
Aircraft Owner Street Address 518 KINNIKINNIK DR.
Aircraft Owner City CO. SPRINGS
Aircraft Owner State CO
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 80906
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name SOMMER, GLENN
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 2520 HAMLET
Operator City CO. SPRINGS
Operator State CO
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 80918
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) Instructional
Second Pilot on Board Unknown
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code COS
Departure City CO. SPRINGS
Departure State CO
Departure Country
Departure Time 2157
Departure Time Zone MST
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code RAP
Destination City RAPID CITY
Destination State SD
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Maneuvering
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Dec 11 2000 1:14PM
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 --