Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Fort Collins Downtown Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Fort Collins, Colorado 80525
Tuesady, May 10, 2005 10:00 MDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot stated that they had just filled the tanks with fuel and the airplane was loaded "right at gross weight." He stated that approximately 200 feet agl and 3/4 down the runway, the airplane "stopped climbing and started sinking." The pilot attempted to increase the airspeed by lowering the nose; however, the airplane continued to descend. The pilot reduced the power to avoid the power lines. The airplane impacted a tree and came to rest on its right side causing substantial damage. According to the FAA inspector who traveled to the scene, the airplane was overloaded and exceeded the gross takeoff weight by at least 18 pounds. According to the Fort Collins-Loveland METAR (aviation routine weather report), the temperature was 16 degrees Celsius (C), the dew point was 04 degrees C, and the altimeter setting was 29.80 inches. Calculated density altitude was 6,500 feet.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
the pilot's inadequate preflight planning/preparation which failed to assure adequate takeoff performance to clear obstacles. Contributing factors included the miscalculated weight and balance and the high density altitude.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/10/2005 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 1000 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Daylight Time |
| Event City | Fort Collins |
| Event State | COLORADO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 80525 |
| Event Date Year | 2005 |
| Event Date Month | 5 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 405318N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1050230W |
| Event Location Airport | Fort Collins Downtown |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 3V5 |
| 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 | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 4939 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 955 Mountain Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 180 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | FNL |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 5016 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 8 |
| 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) | 16 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 4 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 50 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 8 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.8 |
| 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 Docket Number (internal use) | 18097 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Comm Ctr |
| NTSB Notification Date | May 10 2005 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 13 2005 12:54PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\JOHB |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Denver FAA Flight Standards District Office |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N11065 |
| NTSB Number | DEN05CA073 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Champion |
| Aircraft Model | 7ECA |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 79 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1750 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 3 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Aug 1 2004 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 5 |
| Airframe Hours | 1430.5 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Tail Waggers Inc |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 3511 Silverside Road Suite 105 |
| Aircraft Owner City | Wilmington |
| Aircraft Owner State | DE |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 19810 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | On FIle |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | On FIle |
| Operator City | Dexter |
| Operator State | MS |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 63841 |
| 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 | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | 3V5 |
| Departure City | FORT COLLINS |
| Departure State | CO |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1000 |
| Departure Time Zone | MDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | CBK |
| Destination City | COLBY |
| Destination State | KS |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Takeoff |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 14 2005 3:31PM |
| User who most recently changed record | MCBM |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 11 |
| Runway Length | 5300 |
| Runway Width | 44 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |