Colorado Aviation Accidents & Incidents

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On December 17, 2004, at 1522 mountain standard time, a Cessna 421, N421FR, registered to and piloted by a commercial pilot, was destroyed when it impacted terrain 0.5-mile south-southwest of Centennial Airport (APA), Englewood, Colorado. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The instructional flight was being conducted under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 without a flight plan. The pilot, flight instructor, and pilot certificated-passenger were fatally injured. The flight was originating at the time of the accident, and was en route to the Fort Collins-Loveland Airport (FNL), Fort Collins, CO.

The airplane arrived at Centennial Airport between 1330 and 1400, and the three occupants had lunch at the airport restaurant. The airplane was not refueled. According to a Denver Jet Center East employee, approximately 1500 a "pretty" female boarded the airplane and sat in the left seat. She was followed by "two older gentlemen, the one wearing a baseball cap, [who] sat in the right seat." She said that after both engines were started, the right engine quit, followed by the left engine. Her first impression was that the pilot had retarded the mixture handles. After some effort, the engines were restarted, but they quit one after another shortly thereafter. "It took many cranks to get them going again," she said. "They messed with the engines for at least 10 minutes." As the airplane taxied out for takeoff, she noticed a puff of black smoke but she could not be sure "which engine it was coming from."

According to the pilot's father, his daughter called him from the airport and told him they were having "engine problems" or "fuel problems," and that something had been "hooked up backwards." She asked that he notify the repair facility that they were returning the airplane for repairs. That was the last contact he had with his daughter.

The airplane was cleared for takeoff on runway 17L at 1521:41. At 1522:30 a female reported, "centennial tower four two one foxtrot romeo we're having engine trouble just to let you know." (See Transcript of Radio Communications, EXHIBITS). At 1522:43, there was a garbled transmission from the pilot. The airplane was seen to drift right across the median and runway 17R, then roll abruptly to the right and descend in a steep nose-low attitude. The airplane struck the ground, cartwheeled, and came to rest 1,017 feet southwest of the departure end of runway 17R (251º magnetic).

There were numerous witnesses to the accident (see EXHIBITS). One (witness #1) of two linemen working outside the Signature Flight Support facility, located near the intersection of runways 17L and 11, said that as the airplane passed his position, it did not appear to be climbing. "The aircraft appeared to be using right rudder as the nose of the aircraft had yawed to the right." His co-worker (witness #2) agreed that there was "full right rudder deflection." He then observed the airplane b