Colorado Aviation Accidents & Incidents

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On December 22, 2010, at 1159 mountain standard time, a Mooney M20E airplane, N79869, impacted terrain following a missed approach to City of Colorado Springs Municipal Airport (COS), Colorado Springs, Colorado. The commercial pilot and one passenger were fatally injured. The personal flight was being conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 with an Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) flight plan. Instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) prevailed at the time of the accident. The cross-country flight departed Rapid City Regional Airport (RAP), Rapid City, South Dakota, at 0917 and was en route to COS.

The pilot contacted COS approach control at 1138 and was told to expect the Instrument Landing System (ILS) approach to Runway 17L. At 1147, N79869 was cleared for the ILS 17L approach and the pilot acknowledge the clearance. Prior to the approach clearance and then once during the approach, the controller advised of two pilot reports. An MD 80 had experienced light clear ice in the clouds after departure and a CRJ had experienced light rime ice in the clouds after departure. At 1150, N79869 was cleared to land and the pilot acknowledged the clearance.

At 1152:47, the pilot reported “VFR on top” and at 1153:29, reported entering clouds at 8,500 feet mean sea level (MSL). At 1158:24, the pilot report going missed approach, stating that he could not see the runway environment at 6,400 feet. The controller directed the pilot to fly runway heading and the pilot acknowledged. No further voice communications were recorded from the accident airplane. The flight did not report any problems or declare an emergency.

The airplane wreckage was located about 440 feet south of the approach end of Runway 17L and about 400 feet east of the runway centerline.

PERSONNEL INFORMATION

The pilot, age 25, held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single engine land, airplane multiengine land limited to centerline thrust, and instrument airplane. The pilot also held a certificate for flight instructor with ratings for airplane single engine and instrument airplane. His last Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) third-class medical certificate was issued on June 13, 2007, with no limitations. The pilot satisfied the requirements for a flight review on April 15, 2010.

The pilot was a United States Air Force B-1B pilot. He had received an “exceptionally qualified” rating on last military mission and instrument flight review on April 14, 2010.

A review of the pilot’s logbook indicated he had logged 913 total flight hours, 658 hours in single engine land airplane, and 254 hours in multiengine land airplane. He had logged 38 hours in actual instrument conditions and 78 hours of simulated instrument time. The pilot had logged 58 hours in the make and model since purchasing the airplane in July of 2010.

AIRCRAFT INFORMATION

The 1964 model Mooney M20E, serial number 532, was a single engine, low wing, me