Colorado Aviation Accidents & Incidents

HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn February 27, 2017, about 0741 mountain standard time, a Cessna 172S airplane, N2461N, collided with a reservoir while maneuvering near Berthoud, Colorado. The flight instructor and the pilot receiving instruction were fatally injured, and the airplane was substantially damaged. The airplane was owned by McAir Aviation, LLC, and was operated by the company under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local instructional flight that departed Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport (BJC), Broomfield, Colorado, at 0724.

According to the operator, the purpose of the flight was for the pilot receiving instruction to demonstrate his ability to enter and recover from aerodynamic spins as part of his required training toward a flight instructor certificate.

According to a review of air traffic control radar track data, the first radar contact with the airplane was at 0724:01 shortly after it departed runway 30R at BJC. After takeoff, the airplane proceeded north toward Longmont, Colorado. At 0734:30, the airplane crossed over Colorado Highway 66 at 10,000 ft mean sea level (msl). At 0736:12, the airplane was about 1 mile east of the Highland Reservoir No. 2 at 10,300 ft msl. According to calculations based on radar data, the airplane turned to a westerly course as the ground speed decreased below 40 knots. Between 0736:53 and 0737:07, the airplane descended from 10,300 ft msl to 9,300 ft msl, and the calculated average descent rate was about 4,300 ft per minute during the 14 second descent. Following the rapid descent, the airplane entered a climb to 10,800 ft msl and completed a turn from an east course to a west course. At 0740:35, about 1 mile south of the Culver Reservoir (also known as Blue Mountain Reservoir), the airplane completed a 90° right turn, and the ground speed decreased below 40 knots. Between 0741:03 and 0741:40, the airplane descended from 10,800 ft msl to 6,800 ft msl, and the calculated average descent rate was about 6,500 ft per minute. The last radar data point was at 0741:40 at 6,800 ft msl when the airplane descended below available radar coverage (about 1,700 ft above the ground).

A witness reported that she was outside feeding her horses when she observed the airplane flying overhead. She reported hearing a reduction in engine power before seeing the airplane pitch nose-down and enter a spin toward the ground. She stated that the airplane completed about 5 turns in the spin before it descended below a tree line located between her position and Culver Reservoir. She reported that the airplane rotated slowly throughout the spin maneuver and that she did not hear the engine regain power. The witness also indicated that it was very common for airplanes to complete similar maneuvers in the airspace near her property.

Another witness reported that he initially heard the airplane overfly his residence. He stated that he heard a red