Tri-County Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Erie, Colorado 80516
Thursday, September 27, 1990 18:40 MDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE GLIDER-RATED STUDENT PILOT WAS RECEIVING DUAL TRANSITION INSTRUCTION AND WAS CONDUCTING TOUCH AND GO LANDINGS. ON THE FOURTH APPROACH, THE INSTRUCTOR 'FELT THE AIRPLANE WAS LOW, BUT NOT DANGEROUSLY SO,' AND TOLD THE STUDENT TO ADD POWER. THE INSTRUCTOR SAW THE ORANGE MARKER BALLS ON THE POWERLINES BUT FELT THAT THE AIRPLANE HAD CLEARED THEM. THE AIRPLANE SEVERED TWO POWERLINES, LANDED SHORT OF THE RUNWAY, STRUCK A DIRT BANK AND OVERTURNED. RUNWAY 9 EQUIPPED WITH LOW INTENSITY RUNWAY LIGHTS; DOES NOT HAVE A VASI.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE STUDENT PILOT'S MISJUDGEMENT OF DISTANCE AND ALTITUDE, AND THE INSTRUCTOR'S INADEQUATE SUPERVISION.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 9/27/1990
Event Day of the Week Thursday
Time of Event 1840
Event Time Zone Mountain Daylight Time
Event City ERIE
Event State COLORADO
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 80516
Event Date Year 1990
Event Date Month 9
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport TRI-COUNTY
Event Location Nearest Airport ID 48V
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport On Airport
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation 5151
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1845 Mountain Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 15
Weather Observation Facility ID BJC
Elevation of weather observation facility 5658
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 8
Time Zone of the weather observation MDT
Lighting Conditions Dusk
Lowest Ceiling Height 7000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Clear
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 25
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) -18
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) -18
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 190
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 7
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) --
Density Altitude (feet) 0
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury None
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None 2
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1093
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Sep 27 1990 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1930
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 42313
Date of most recent change to record Dec 18 2002 11:28AM
User who most recently changed record NTSB\GIUV
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N6581M
NTSB Number DEN90LA194
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 None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name CESSNA
Aircraft Model 152
Aircraft Series Identifier 152
Aircraft Serial Number 15284769
Certified Max Gross Weight 1670
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 Unknown
Date of Last Inspection --
Airframe hours since last inspection 0
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name
Aircraft Owner Street Address
Aircraft Owner City
Aircraft Owner State
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name TRI-COUNTY FLIGHT SCHOOL, INC.
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 350 BARON CT.
Operator City ERIE
Operator State CT
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 80516
Operator Code XSFV
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 Yes
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code 48V
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 1800
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 Approach
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:30AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 9
Runway Length 3830
Runway Width 60
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --