Colorado Aviation Accidents & Incidents

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On October 27, 2001, at 2006 mountain daylight time, a Cessna T337G, N45E, was destroyed during impact with terrain near Palmer Lake, Colorado. The instrument rated private pilot, the sole occupant in the airplane, was fatally injured. The flight was being conducted under Title 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local, night flight that originated at 1905 from Centennial Airport, Englewood, Colorado. The pilot had not filed a flight plan.

The pilot's wife said the purpose of his flight was to practice instrument approaches in preparation for an instrument proficiency check ride, for insurance purposes, on October 29, 2001. She said she was planning to fly with him as a safety pilot (which she frequently did), but on this day he wanted to fly alone. The pilot told her that he would not wear a visual restricting device (for instrument training), but "he would turn the cabin lights up bright" to restrict his external vision.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Denver TRACON (Terminal Radar Approach Control) voice tape indicates that the pilot said "I will be airborne for a couple of hours, and I'd like to practice various approaches." The controller told him to squawk 5230 (a VFR discreet code with no associated MSAW [minimum safe altitude warning] capability) and climb to 8,500 feet msl (mean sea level). He was then cleared to fly the full ILS (Instrument Landing System) approach to runway 35R. The pilot flew two complete ILS approaches; his first clearance was at 1918 and his second clearance was at 1936. During the first approach, the pilot came out of the procedure turn and flew through the localizer. He said to the controller, "I can't seem to get on the localizer." The controller assisted him with a heading of 020 degrees [or a 30 degree localizer intercept angle].

At 1946, the pilot requested to fly two turns in the holding pattern before flying a third approach; the controller cleared him to fly direct to Casse (the outer marker) and climb to 9,000 feet msl. At 1948, the controller conducted a position relief briefing and transferred position responsibility to the relieving controller. At 1950, the pilot was flying inbound on the first holding pattern and he departed his assigned altitude. Radar data indicates that he descended approximately 1,400 feet with no controller intervention. Next, the pilot requested to depart 15 nautical miles (nm) to the southeast to "get out of the way of the approach course for awhile." The controller cleared him, with no further instructions. The pilot requested an altitude of 8,500 feet; the controller cleared him for that altitude. No mention of visual flight rules (VFR) or changing his discreet transponder squawk were made by the controller.

At 2000:31, the radar data indicates that the airplane was west of the localizer (approximately 8 nm south of Casse) flying approximately 170 degrees, and made a 35 degree turn to the wes