Weld County Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Greeley, Colorado 80631
Tuesady, November 3, 1987 19:00 MST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE RECENTLY CERTIFICATED PRIVATE PLT WAS TAXIING HIS ACFT TO RWY 9 FOR A NIGHT TAKEOFF. ANOTHER ACFT BEGAN ITS TAKEOFF ROLL ON RWY 9. AS A COURTESY, THE TAXIING PLT SWITCHED OFF HIS TAXI LIGHT SO AS NOT TO BLIND THE OTHER PLT. THE TAXIING PLT USED THE GLOW OF HIS WING TIP NAV LIGHTS TO SEE WHERE HE WAS GOING AND CONTINUED TAXIING. THERE WAS A SHARP CURVE IN THE TAXIWAY THAT THE PLT DID NOT SEE. THE ACFT TAXIED OFF THE TAXIWAY, DOWN INTO A DEPRESSION IN THE GROUND, AND NOSED OVER. THE WX WAS VFR BUT IT WAS A DARK NIGHT.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 11/3/1987
Event Day of the Week Tuesday
Time of Event 1900
Event Time Zone Mountain Standard Time
Event City GREELEY
Event State COLORADO
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 80631
Event Date Year 1987
Event Date Month 11
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport WELD COUNTY
Event Location Nearest Airport ID GXY
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 4658
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Pilot
Time of the weather observation 1851 Mountain Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 336
Weather Observation Facility ID CYS
Elevation of weather observation facility 6156
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 44
Time Zone of the weather observation MDT
Lighting Conditions Night/Dark
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Clear
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 10
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 11
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) -1
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 280
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 10
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) 4950
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) 1341
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Nov 4 1987 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 830
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 34698
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 2:59PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N49209
NTSB Number DEN88LA019
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name CESSNA
Aircraft Model 152
Aircraft Series Identifier 152
Aircraft Serial Number 15281194
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 100 Hour
Date of Last Inspection Aug 2 1987 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 57
Airframe Hours 3487
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name JAMES A RUTZ
Aircraft Owner Street Address 7573 WELD COUNTY ROAD 15
Aircraft Owner City WINDSOR
Aircraft Owner State CO
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 80550
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name AIR LINK TRAINING CENTER, INC.
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 600 CROSIER AVENUE, #56
Operator City GREELEY
Operator State CO
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 80631
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
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 1900
Departure Time Zone MST
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 Taxi
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:35AM
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 --