Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Centennial Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Highlands Ranch, Colorado 80129
Saturday, March 29, 2014 14:40 MDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
On the morning of the accident, the pilot terminated his first flight early due to a fuel leak in the fuel tank sight gauge. The pilot made a repair before taking off for a second flight. During the second flight, witnesses reported seeing the airplane in distress and hearing the engine sputtering as it approached an open field. The airplane overflew a set of power lines before rolling and impacting terrain, consistent with the pilot reducing the airspeed in an attempt to clear the power lines during a forced landing and subsequently stalling the airplane. The majority of the airplane fuselage and cockpit were consumed by a postimpact fire. Flight control continuity was verified from the cockpit to all flight control surfaces. Examination of the fuel system and engine were limited due to the fire damage, and a reason for the apparent loss of engine power could not be determined.
The pilot hadn’t flown in 10 years and had recently purchased the airplane. The pilot logged one flight with an instructor about 2 months before the accident, and he had not logged experience in the airplane type before the day of the accident.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot’s loss of control during a forced landing following a loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined due to postimpact fire damage.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 3/29/2014 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1440 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Daylight Time |
| Event City | Highlands Ranch |
| Event State | COLORADO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 80129 |
| Event Date Year | 2014 |
| Event Date Month | 3 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 393308N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1050011W |
| Event Location Airport | CENTENNIAL |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | APA |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 7 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 261 |
| Airport Elevation | 5885 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1453 Mountain Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 260 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KAPA |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 5885 |
| 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) | 15 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 330 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 6 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.97 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | METAR KAPA 292053Z 33006KT 10SM FEW170 BKN250 17/M |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 32756 |
| NTSB Notification Source | Douglas County Sheriff's Offic |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 9 2014 9:24AM |
| User who most recently changed record | bakd |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N63917 |
| NTSB Number | CEN14FA173 |
| 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 | WORTHINGTON DONALD WAYNE |
| Aircraft Model | SONERAI II LT |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 2LT |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 00024 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1050 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | Yes |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | 1 |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | -- |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Conditional |
| Date of Last Inspection | Nov 1 2013 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | PEOPLES JIM M |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | LITTLETON |
| Aircraft Owner State | CO |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 801273613 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | PEOPLES JIM M |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | LITTLETON |
| Operator State | CO |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 801273613 |
| 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 | APA |
| Departure City | Highlands Ranch |
| Departure State | CO |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1430 |
| Departure Time Zone | MDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | APA |
| Destination City | Highlands Ranch |
| Destination State | CO |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 9 2014 9:27AM |
| User who most recently changed record | bakd |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |