Colorado Aviation Accidents & Incidents

On August 11, 2010, approximately 1115 mountain daylight time, a Piper PA-18, N350CC, registered to and operated by the pilot, was substantially damaged when it collided with terrain during takeoff roll at Aspen-Pitkin County/Sardy Field (ASE), Aspen, Colorado. Visual meteorological conditions (VMC) prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was being conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 without a flight plan. The pilot, the sole occupant on board, was not injured. The local flight was originating at the time of the accident.

According to the pilot's accident report, he was taking off on runway 33. He wrote: "As the tail started coming off the ground, the plane veered off to the left and accelerated into a typical ground loop."
The pilot said that after the accident, four witnesses approached him and told him that right after he added power, the wind sock swung around into a 90-degree crosswind and that a strong gust moved across the field.

The pilot said he made several mistakes. He said should have waited longer for the storm that was in the area to move farther west; he should not have gone to the end of the runway but asked the tower for an intersection departure; and he should have paid more attention to the wind sock at the downwind end of the runway.

The pilot added that "Age is slowly having its effect" and his "reaction time is not what it use to be." The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during takeoff in gusting crosswind conditions.