Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Denver, Colorado 80211
Friday, January 24, 2003 17:21 MST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
A Piper PA-31T "Cheyenne" and a Cessna 172P "Skyhawk" collided in midair during cruise flight at dusk and in visual meteorological conditions. The Cheyenne departed under visual flight rules (VFR) from a local airport northwest of Denver, and was proceeding direct at 7,800 feet to another local airport south of Denver. Radar indicated its ground speed was 230 knots. Its altitude encoder was transmitting intermittently. The Skyhawk departed VFR from the south airport and was en route to Cheyenne, Wyoming, at 7,300 feet. The pilot requested and was cleared to climb to 8,500 feet and penetrate class B airspace. Radar indicated its ground speed was 110 knots. The Skyhawk was flying in the suggested "VFR flyway"; the Cheyenne was not. When the controller observed the two airplanes converging, he asked the pilot of the Cheyenne for his altitude. He replied he was at 7,600 feet. The controller immediately issued a traffic advisory, but the pilot did not acknowledge. Both airplanes departed controlled flight: the Skyhawk struck a house, and the Cheyenne fell inverted into the backyard of a residence. Wreckage was scattered over a 24 square block area in west Denver. At the time of the accident, the controller was handling low altitude en route, arrival and departure traffic for both airports. Wreckage examination disclosed four slashes, consistent with propeller strikes, on top of the Cheyenne's right engine nacelle, the cabin above the right wing trailing edge, the empennage at the root of the dorsal fin, and at the tail cone. The Cheyenne was on a similar flight three days before the collision when the pilot was informed by air traffic control that the transponder was operating intermittently. According to recorded radar and voice communications from that flight, the transponder/encoder operated intermittently and the pilot was so advised. Examination of the Cheyenne's altimeter/encoder revealed a cold solder connection on pin 8 of the 15-pin altimeter connector. When the wire was resoldered to the pin, the information from the altimeters, encoder, and altitude serializer was normal.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Both pilots' inadequate visual lookout. A contributing factor was the Cheyenne pilot operating the airplane with a known transponder deficiency.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 1/24/2003 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1721 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Standard Time |
| Event City | Denver |
| Event State | COLORADO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 80211 |
| Event Date Year | 2003 |
| Event Date Month | 1 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | Yes |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 394600N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1050300W |
| 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 | 1753 Mountain Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 64 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | DEN |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 5431 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 23 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MST |
| Lighting Conditions | Dusk |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 22000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 8000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Few |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 4 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -5 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 130 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 14 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.12 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 5155 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 6 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | 5 |
| Injury Total Minor | 6 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 11 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 14692 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Comm Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jan 24 2003 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1745 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Nov 21 2003 4:09PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\JOHB |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Denver, Colorado |
Aircraft Involved |
||
|---|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
Aircraft #2 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N360LL | N52241 |
| NTSB Number | DEN03MA035A | DEN03MA035B |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No | No |
| Damage | Destroyed | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None | Ground |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Piper | Cessna |
| Aircraft Model | PA-31T | 172P |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 31T-7520036 | 17274452 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 9000 | 2550 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 8 | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 2 | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | AAIP | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- | Jan 8 2003 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 6478 | 12873 |
| ELT Installed | Yes | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Lee Larson | EDB Air, Inc. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | On File | 24624 S.W. Gage Rd. |
| Aircraft Owner City | Northglenn | Wilsonville |
| Aircraft Owner State | CO | OR |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 80233 | 97070 |
| Operator is an individual? | No | No |
| Operator Name | -- | -- |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- | 7625 S. Peoria St. |
| Operator City | -- | Englewood |
| Operator State | -- | D |
| Operator Country | -- | USA |
| Operator Zip code | -- | 80112 |
| Operator Code | -- | KY78 |
| 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 | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No | No |
| Departure Airport Code | BJC | APA |
| Departure City | Broomfield | Englewood |
| Departure State | CO | CO |
| Departure Country | USA | USA |
| Departure Time | 1717 | 1700 |
| Departure Time Zone | MST | MST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | APA | CYS |
| Destination City | Englewood | Cheyenne |
| Destination State | CO | WY |
| Destination Country | USA | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Descent | Climb - to cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No | No |
| Evacuation occurred | -- | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Nov 18 2003 1:01PM | Nov 18 2003 1:01PM |
| User who most recently changed record | MCBM | MCBM |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | -- | -- |
| Runway Length | -- | -- |
| Runway Width | -- | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No | No |
| Medical Flight | -- | -- |