Colorado Aviation Accidents & Incidents

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On July 30, 2006, approximately 0700 mountain daylight time, an American Champion 7KCAB, N5232X, piloted by a commercial pilot, was destroyed when it impacted mountainous terrain 6 nautical miles northeast of Winter Park, Colorado. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was being conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 without a flight plan. The pilot and her passenger, a commercial certificated flight instructor, sustained fatal injuries. The cross-country flight departed McElroy Field (20V), Kremmling, Colorado, approximately 0630, and was en route to Boulder Municipal Airport (1V5), Boulder, Colorado.

Family members reported that both pilots flew to Kremmling, camped under the wing of the airplane, and departed early the next morning in time to watch the sun rise over the continental divide. Both pilots were scheduled to be back at work at 0900 on the day of the accident.

Witnesses camped on the west end of Betty Lake on the morning of the accident observed the accident airplane. According to these witnesses, the accident airplane flew overhead, from the east, towards the continental divide. One witness observed the accident airplane come from "behind the continental divide, wrap around the mountain, and then fly back around towards the lake." Another witness thought the airplane was going to land on the lake and estimated the airplane height between 100 and 200 feet above the ground.

The airplane was observed to bank to the west at which time the "nose turned down and the airplane went straight down like it was hit with a fly swatter." One witness commented that the "airplane went down with the nose facing opposite the original direction of flight." Both witnesses could hear the engine and one noted that the engine was "loud." The airplane impacted trees and terrain approximately 200 yards from the campsite.

PERSONNEL INFORMATION

The pilot, age 19, held a commercial pilot certificate issued on May 23, 2006, with airplane single engine land, sea, and instrument ratings. She held a second class airman medical certificate issued on May 31, 2006. The certificate contained the limitation "holder shall wear correcting lenses while exercising the privileges of his/her airman certificate." At the time of medical certificate application, the pilot reported 740 hours total time; 40 of which had been logged in the past 6 months.

The pilot's family provided a copy of her logbooks for review by the National Transportation Safety Board (Safety Board) investigator-in-charge (IIC). A review of the logbook indicated that the pilot had logged no less than 852 hours total flight time, 586 of which were as pilot in command, and 662 of which were in tailwheel airplanes. Her logbook indicated she received an endorsement to act as pilot in command in tailwheel airplanes on June 10, 2003, and a spin endorsement on March 9, 2002. The pilot's logboo