Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
Meadow Lake Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Colo. Springs, Colorado 80831
Saturday, April 26, 2003 12:10 MDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot reported on takeoff having a normal acceleration and run. The pilot said, "The airplane uncharacteristically failed to produce additional RPMs once airborne." The pilot determined that he would have to bring the airplane back for landing. The pilot said he initiated a left turn to crosswind and lowered an additional 10 degrees of flaps. The pilot said that it was at this point that he was near minimum controllable airspeed. The airplane started a slow descent. The pilot said he turned the airplane from crosswind to aim it back toward the center of the airport. The pilot said, "As I rolled level I noted the airspeed indicator at 40 miles per hour, which I maintained all the way down to touchdown in a stable descent." The pilot said that at approximately 20 feet above the ground, he pulled back slightly on the yoke in an attempt to flare the airplane. The right wing dropped, and the airplane impacted the ground, bounced, and went inverted. An examination of the airplane's engine showed the number 2 cylinder exhaust valve stuck in the open position. No other anomalies with the airplane were found. The density altitude for the area at the time of the accident was 8,133 feet. The pilot reported the winds on takeoff as 250 degrees at 8 knots. An examination of the engine logbook showed that 9 months earlier, the number 2 cylinder exhaust valve was found stuck open after an aborted takeoff. The valve was unstuck and an engine run and test flight was conducted. From the time of the aborted takeoff incident to the time of the accident, the airplane logged approximately 2 hours total time.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
the stuck open exhaust valve on the engine's number 2 cylinder, the pilot's improper preflight planning, and his failure to maintain aircraft control. Factors contributing to the accident were the low altitude flight maneuver performed, the low airspeed, the tailwind, the high density altitude, and the inadvertent stall.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 4/26/2003 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1210 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Daylight Time |
| Event City | Colo. Springs |
| Event State | COLORADO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 80831 |
| Event Date Year | 2003 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 385645N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1043411W |
| Event Location Airport | Meadow Lake Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 00V |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0.75 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 150 |
| Airport Elevation | 6874 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1154 Mountain Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 225 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | COS |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 6184 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 14 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 18 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 1 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 140 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.77 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 8133 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 14234 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA COMM CTR |
| NTSB Notification Date | Apr 26 2003 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1220 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Nov 25 2003 11:36AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Denver, Colorado FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N6884E |
| NTSB Number | DEN03LA073 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Cessna |
| Aircraft Model | 175A |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 56384 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2350 |
| 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 | Jun 29 2002 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 3.2 |
| Airframe Hours | 3499.03 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Doyle L. Shupps |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 2711 Elm Street |
| Aircraft Owner City | El Paso |
| Aircraft Owner State | TX |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 79930 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Robert L. Buckley, Jr. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Colorado Springs |
| Operator State | CO |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 80918 |
| 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 | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | 00V |
| Departure City | Colo. Springs |
| Departure State | CO |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1210 |
| Departure Time Zone | MDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | 99V |
| Destination City | Crawford |
| Destination State | CO |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Takeoff - initial climb |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 21 2003 12:25PM |
| User who most recently changed record | MCBM |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 15 |
| Runway Length | 6000 |
| Runway Width | 60 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |