Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
Private Airstrip Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Colorado Springs, Colorado 80906
Sunday, November 2, 2008 11:11 MST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
According to the pilot, he was attempting to depart from an unimproved private airstrip. As the airplane rotated for lift-off at 35 to 40 miles per hour, it was "hit by a dust devil." The airplane rotated ninety degrees to the right and the application of full opposite control inputs failed to re-establish directional control. The airplane impacted terrain, causing the left landing gear to collapse, followed by the collapse of the right landing gear and resulting in multiple propeller ground strikes. The airplane sustained a bent right wing spar. The pilot reported the weather conditions at the time of the accident as a variable 7- to 10-knot wind, gusting to 12 to 15 knots. An hourly weather observation taken at the time of the accident 39 miles west of the accident site showed the wind to be 170 at four knots.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Loss of directional control due to an encounter with a weather phenomena at rotation.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 11/2/2008 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1111 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Standard Time |
| Event City | Colorado Springs |
| Event State | COLORADO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 80906 |
| Event Date Year | 2008 |
| Event Date Month | 11 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 385101N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1040522W |
| Event Location Airport | Private airstrip |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | N/A |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 6424 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 925 Mountain Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 260 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KCOS |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | -- |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 29 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MST |
| 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) | -- |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 17 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -3 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Variable |
| Wind Speed (knots) | -- |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 15 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.95 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| 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) | 24853 |
| NTSB Notification Source | Denver FAA Flight Standards Di |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 29 2008 4:52PM |
| User who most recently changed record | bowl |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N18338 |
| NTSB Number | CEN09CA079 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA18-150 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 18-8285 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Nov 27 2007 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 4500 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Conrad Lapp |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 2704 Constellation Dr. |
| Aircraft Owner City | Colorado Springs |
| Aircraft Owner State | CO |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 80906 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Conrad Lapp |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 2704 Constellation Dr. |
| Operator City | Colorado Springs |
| Operator State | CO |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 80906 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| 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 | KCOS |
| Departure City | Colorado Spring |
| Departure State | CO |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 930 |
| Departure Time Zone | MST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | -- |
| Destination City | Rush |
| Destination State | CO |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 29 2008 4:52PM |
| User who most recently changed record | bowl |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |