Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Lake County Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Leadville, Colorado 80461
Sunday, July 6, 2003 12:35 MDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot took off and allowed the airplane to accelerate in ground effect to normal climb speed. When he initiated the climb, airspeed dropped 20 to 25 knots and the airplane settled back onto the runway. The airplane went off the end of the runway, struck a runway light and fence post, and traveled about 1,100 feet before coming to a halt. The empennage separated from the airplane when it collided with terrain. The pilot said the wind was from 160 to 200 degrees at 12 knots with gusts to 16 knots. At 1256, the recorded METAR (routine aviation weather report) at Leadville was as follows: Wind variable at 3 knots; visibility, 10 statute miles; few clouds, 11,000 feet; temperature, 21 degrees Celsius; dew point, minus 7 degrees Celsius; altimeter, 30.35 inches of mercury; peak wind, 180 degrees at 35 knots; rain began at 1235, and ended at 1246; sea level pressure, 1009.0 millibars.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
the pilot's inadequate compensation for wind conditions and his failure to attain adequate airspeed resulting in an inadvertent stall/mush. Contributing factors were the wind shear, runway light, fence post, and unsuitable terrain.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/6/2003 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1235 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Daylight Time |
| Event City | Leadville |
| Event State | COLORADO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 80461 |
| Event Date Year | 2003 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 391302N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1061900W |
| Event Location Airport | Lake County |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | LXV |
| 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 | 160 |
| Airport Elevation | 9927 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1256 Mountain Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 160 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | LXV |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 9927 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 1 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 11000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Few |
| 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) | 21 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -7 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Variable |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 3 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 35 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.35 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 12575 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Serious |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 14582 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA COMM CTR |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jul 6 2003 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1215 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 30 2003 8:55AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\JOHB |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Denver FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N37JK |
| NTSB Number | DEN03LA122 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Mooney |
| Aircraft Model | M20J |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 24-0836 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2740 |
| 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 | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Aug 6 2002 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 58 |
| Airframe Hours | 3006 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Western Vref Aviation LLC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | On File |
| Aircraft Owner City | Avon |
| Aircraft Owner State | CO |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 81620 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| 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 | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | LXV |
| Departure City | Leadville |
| Departure State | CO |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1235 |
| Departure Time Zone | MDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | SEZ |
| Destination City | Sedona |
| Destination State | AZ |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Takeoff - roll/run |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 30 2003 3:20PM |
| User who most recently changed record | MCBM |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 16 |
| Runway Length | 6400 |
| Runway Width | 75 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |