Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Georgetown, Colorado 80444
Monday, June 30, 2014 8:49 MDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
On June 30, 2014 about 0849 mountain daylight time (MDT), a Piper PA-28-235, N8814W, owned and operated by a private individual, was destroyed when it impacted mountainous terrain at the Loveland Ski Area near Georgetown, Colorado. A post-impact fire ensued. The pilot and the two passengers on board were fatally injured in the accident. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal cross-country flight which was being conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 without a flight plan. The flight originated at the Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport (KBJC), Broomfield, Colorado, at 0730 MDT, and was en route to Moab, Utah.
A witness who was driving on a switchback road on the Loveland Ski Area saw the airplane flying westbound along the mountains. The airplane was at an altitude of 11,000 to 11,200 feet MSL and in a high nose up pitch attitude. The witness said he saw the airplane "break" into a left turn and enter a spin. The airplane was in a steep left bank and "deep" nose down attitude. He watched the airplane descend rapidly and go out of view behind trees. He rolled down his window to hear if there was a crash. When he didn't hear anything, the witness thought maybe the pilot recovered safely from the rapid descent. However, as he came to a horseshoe bend in the road, he saw the smoke from the post-impact fire. The witness said he did not hear any engine sounds prior to the accident because he had his car windows rolled up.
The accident site was located on the side of a mountain slope at an elevation of 10,960 feet MSL. The airplane wreckage was spread along a 186 foot long path through Subalpine fir trees along a 246-degree magnetic heading. The first point of impact was a Subalpine fir that was broken off approximately 69 feet up from the ground. About 45 feet west-southwest of the first impact point were the airplane's left wing tip, two sections of the left outboard wing, and left aileron. They rested on the ground and were crushed and broken aft. The terrain from the first point of impact to where the airplane's main wreckage came to rest was down-sloping at an angle of approximately 18 degrees. The main wreckage, which consisted of the airplane's engine, propeller, cabin, right wing, left inboard wing, both main landing gear, baggage compartment, aft fuselage, and empennage rested inverted at the base of four Subalpine fir trees. These components were charred, melted, and consumed by fire. A burned area approximately 75 feet long and 54 feet wide surrounded the main wreckage. Several trees knocked down by the airplane were also in the burned area.
Continuity from the control yokes and rudder pedals to the aileron bellcranks, stabilator crosstube, and rudder horns was confirmed at the accident site. The right aileron control surface was charred and melted. The rudder and stabilator surfaces were consumed by fire.
The airplane wreckage was retained for further examination.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/30/2014 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 849 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Daylight Time |
| Event City | Georgetown |
| Event State | COLORADO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 80444 |
| Event Date Year | 2014 |
| Event Date Month | 6 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 394033N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1055231E |
| Event Location Airport | -- |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | -- |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | -- |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Unknown |
| Time of the weather observation | |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | -- |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | -- |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | -- |
| Lighting Conditions | -- |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | -- |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | -- |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | -- |
| Wind Speed (knots) | -- |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | 3 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 3 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | -- |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA-Northwest Mountain Region |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 1 2014 1:01PM |
| User who most recently changed record | bowl |
| Basic weather conditions | -- |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N8814W |
| NTSB Number | CEN14FA328 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | -- |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | Ground |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA 28-235 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 235 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 28-10360 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | -- |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | 4 |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | -- |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | KERKER JAMES E |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 21729 LIBERTY WEST RD |
| Aircraft Owner City | RAYMOND |
| Aircraft Owner State | OH |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 430679608 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | KERKER JAMES E |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 21729 LIBERTY WEST RD |
| Operator City | RAYMOND |
| Operator State | OH |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 430679608 |
| 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 | No |
| Departure Airport Code | KBJC |
| Departure City | Broomfield |
| Departure State | CO |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 730 |
| Departure Time Zone | MDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | -- |
| Destination City | Moab |
| Destination State | UT |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 1 2014 11:54AM |
| User who most recently changed record | bowl |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | -- |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |