Colorado Aviation Accidents & Incidents

On June 30, 2012, about 0920 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 172S, N917SA, collided with trees and terrain during a climb to cruise near Glenwood Springs, Colorado. The private pilot, who was the sole occupant, reported minor injuries. The airplane sustained substantial left wing and empennage damage. The airplane was registered to Wings Up LLC and was operated by Rocky Mountain Flight School as a rental airplane to the pilot for a personal flight conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual flight rules (VFR) conditions prevailed for the flight, which operated on a VFR flight plan. The flight originated from the Glenwood Springs Municipal Airport (GWS), near Glenwood Springs, Colorado, about 0912, and was destined for the Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport (BJC), near Denver, Colorado.




According to the pilot, he received a full weather briefing and filed a "round robin" flight plan for a flight from BJC to GWS and returning to BJC. The pilot used flight following with air traffic controllers during the flight from BJC to GWS and that portion of the round robin was conducted without incident. The pilot was at GWS about 20 minutes. The pilot did not note any airplane anomalies during the startup, run-up, and takeoff. The pilot reported that it was a clear, calm morning, and he made the decision to fly on the left side of the canyon. The pilot recalled making various power increases and changes to the climb in response to the rising terrain. The pilot indicated that the power increases did not seem to be helping the climb, so he slowed the airplane to 70 knots indicated airspeed to minimize the turnaround radius. The pilot reported that his memory was "extremely fuzzy" at this point due to his injuries. He did recall continuing to increase power while the aircraft did not seem to be responding in reference to the rising terrain. He stated that he slowed the airplane a little more to make the turnaround and remembered feeling/seeing the aircraft hit a tree.




Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspectors examined the wreckage. The examination revealed no anomalies with the flight controls and engine.




The pilot held a FAA private pilot certificate with an airplane single engine land rating. The pilot reported that he was issued a third-class FAA airman medical certificate, with limitations for wearing corrective lenses, on November 11, 2009. He further indicated that he had accumulated 136 hours of total flight time and 56 hours of pilot in command flight time. The pilot stated he had received instruction on assessing canyons from a previous mountain flight. The pilot did not indicate that he attended a recognized mountain flying courses.




The 2002 Cessna 172S, serial number 172S9177, was a single-engine, four-seat airplane. According to its type certificate data sheet, the airplane was powered by a Lycoming IO-360-L2A, engine, rated at 180 horsepower at 2,700 rpm. The pilot reported that the