Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Yuma Municipal Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Yuma, Colorado 80759
Monday, May 19, 2014 9:30 MDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot reported that after referencing the airport windsock, which indicated a variable and gusty wind condition, he decided to takeoff on runway 16. The airplane was on takeoff roll when, before achieving liftoff, it encountered a wind gust that raised the right wing. The pilot was unable to correct for the wind gust before the airplane departed the left side of the runway and impacted a drainage ditch. He reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. A review of wind data readings, taken during the hour before the accident, established that the wind direction and speed had been from the north at 13-15 knots with recorded wind gusts between 20-26 knots. Additionally, the wind speed had increased throughout the same time period. The use of runway 16 would have resulted in a tailwind condition and an increased ground speed required to achieve a normal liftoff. The higher ground speed likely contributed to the pilot's inability to maintain directional control after the airplane encountered the wind gust.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control after the airplane encountered a wind gust during takeoff roll. Contributing to the accident was the pilot inadvertently using a runway that resulted in a gusty tailwind condition.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/19/2014 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 930 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Daylight Time |
| Event City | Yuma |
| Event State | COLORADO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 80759 |
| Event Date Year | 2014 |
| Event Date Month | 5 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 400615N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1024247W |
| Event Location Airport | Yuma Municipal Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 2V6 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 160 |
| Airport Elevation | 4136 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 935 Coordinated Universal Time? Same as GMT |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 90 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | 2V5 |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 3677 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 25 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | UTC |
| 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) | 23 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 10 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 340 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 18 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 24 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.7 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | METAR K2V5 191535Z AUTO 34018G24KT 10SM CLR 23/10 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 32748 |
| NTSB Notification Source | Central Region Duty Officer, J |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 22 2014 11:12AM |
| User who most recently changed record | foxt |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N9631C |
| NTSB Number | CEN14LA245 |
| 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 | PA 28-181 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 181 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 28-7890431 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | -- |
| 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 | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jul 1 2013 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 90 |
| Airframe Hours | 3658 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Heartland Aviation Inc. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Alliance |
| Aircraft Owner State | NE |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 69301 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Heartland Aviation Inc. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Alliance |
| Operator State | NE |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 69301 |
| 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) | Instructional |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | 2V6 |
| Departure City | Yuma |
| Departure State | CO |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 930 |
| Departure Time Zone | MDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | AIA |
| Destination City | Alliance |
| Destination State | NE |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 22 2014 11:13AM |
| User who most recently changed record | foxt |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 16 |
| Runway Length | 4200 |
| Runway Width | 75 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |