Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Lamar Municipal Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Lamar, Colorado 81052
Sunday, March 24, 2002 15:00 MST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot obtained a weather briefing for an IFR flight. The briefer informed the pilot of IFR conditions along the route of flight and an airmet for icing conditions in the northern 1/3 of the state of Colorado; however, the route of flight was not within the airmet's boundaries. The pilot then filed an IFR flight plan. The flight departed and climbed to a cruising altitude of 9,000 feet. The pilot stated that the airplane was in IMC when he observed that the airplane's groundspeed was less than he expected, and that the outside air temperature was slightly below freezing. He contacted air traffic control (ATC), requested a descent to 7,000 feet, and initiated a descent. Rime ice began to accumulate on the airplane's windshield, wings, and vertical stabilizer. The flight continued and was 25-30 miles past the nearest airport when the pilot advised ATC that the airplane could not maintain altitude due to icing. ATC recommended that the pilot reverse course and divert to the airport. The pilot then turned back toward the airport. The pilot stated that the airplane remained in a shallow descent; however, he was able to maintain 80 mph airspeed. The flight broke out of the cloud layer at 4,500 feet. The pilot's outside view was obstructed by the ice covered windshield, except for a 6-inch radius semi-circle that was cleared by the airplane's windshield defroster. The flight continued toward the airport; however, it encountered rising terrain, and subsequently, the airplane impacted the ground.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
the pilot's delay in taking immediate remedial action after the flight encountered icing conditions, which resulted in a collision with terrain. A contributing factor to the accident was the icing condition.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 3/24/2002 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1500 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Standard Time |
| Event City | Lamar |
| Event State | COLORADO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 81052 |
| Event Date Year | 2002 |
| Event Date Month | 3 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | -- |
| Event Location Longitude | -- |
| Event Location Airport | Lamar Municipal |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | LAA |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 1 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 135 |
| Airport Elevation | 3706 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1453 Mountain Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 315 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | LAA |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 3706 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 1 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 2200 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | -- |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 7 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 0 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -4 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 40 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 14 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.84 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 2 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 13477 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Mar 25 2002 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 730 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 30 2003 9:51AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Denver, Colorado |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N9265L |
| NTSB Number | FTW02LA101 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Grumman |
| Aircraft Model | AA-5 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | AA5-0250 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2200 |
| 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 | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Sep 27 2001 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 10 |
| Airframe Hours | 3164 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Edward A. Wenninger |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 4449 N. Rsuhwood Court |
| Aircraft Owner City | Wichita |
| Aircraft Owner State | KS |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 67226 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | -- |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | -- |
| Operator State | -- |
| Operator Country | -- |
| Operator Zip code | -- |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| 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 | No |
| Departure Airport Code | APA |
| Departure City | Denver |
| Departure State | CO |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1230 |
| Departure Time Zone | MST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | GCK |
| Destination City | Garden City |
| Destination State | KS |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Descent - emergency |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | Yes |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 19 2002 4:53PM |
| User who most recently changed record | SNYG |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | -- |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |