Colorado Aviation Accidents & Incidents

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On April 17, 2001, at 1627 mountain daylight time, a Beech 35, N2PZ, was destroyed when it impacted terrain during takeoff from Glenwood Springs Municipal Airport, Glenwood Springs, Colorado. The private pilot, the sole occupant in the airplane, was fatally injured. The pilot was operating the airplane under Title 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the cross-country flight which was originating at the time of the accident. The pilot had not filed a flight plan.

According to Fixed Base Operator (FBO) service personnel at Boise Air Terminal Airport (BOI; elevation 2,868 feet), Boise, Idaho, the pilot had approached them on two occasions requesting auto gas for his airplane; he was told that they do not sell it. On April 16, 2001, he approached them again requesting auto gas, and he was told that they only sold 100LL fuel. The pilot did request from FBO service personnel that the main tanks of his airplane be topped off with 100LL; they put 7.1 gallons in the airplane. Shortly after the FBO employee had serviced the airplane, he observed the pilot positioning five or six red, 5 gallon, square fuel containers next to the airplane's cargo door. The FBO employee left the area for another work assignment, and did not observe the pilot load his aircraft.

Witnesses at Glenwood Springs Municipal Airport (GWS; elevation 5,916 feet) said that the airplane arrived at their location on April 16, 2001. They said that the airplane landed long and fast, and one of the airplane's main tires failed during the braking sequence. They described the tire as being in very good condition, with a 4 inch flat spot with a hole in the center (the hole went through the inner tube as well).

On April 17, 2001, the pilot called the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Denver Automated Flight Service Station (AFSS) to obtain a weather briefing for a visual flight rules (VFR) flight from Glenwood Springs (GWS), Colorado, to Boise (BOI), Idaho. AFSS personnel reported that, at 1527, the pilot received a standard weather briefing. Witnesses reported that during the approximate 45 minutes it took the pilot to prepare his airplane for flight (loading the airplane, and topping the three fuel tanks off with 47.5 gallons of 100LL fuel), at least four airplanes departed on runway 14. One witness observed that when the pilot taxied out for takeoff on runway 14, a down wind takeoff, his right rear cabin window was open (it could not be determined if this was closed before flight).

Witnesses said that during the takeoff sequence, the airplane appeared to rotate "quickly" and "excessively." One witness said the airplane appeared to have a nose high attitude on the takeoff roll, which continued beyond the river, and then its nose got higher. He said the airplane suddenly turned left and crashed with a big ball of flame. Several witnesses reported that the airplane began to wobble back and forth, as soon as it left the