Colorado Aviation Accidents & Incidents

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On October 28, 2013, about 1900 mountain daylight time (MDT), a Glasair Sportsman GS-2, N535SP, impacted terrain after contact with a utility wire near Castle Rock, Colorado. The commercial pilot sustained serious injuries and the aircraft was substantially damaged. The airplane was registered to and operated by a private individual under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a positioning flight. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which was operated on an instrument flight rules flight plan. The flight originated from Yampa Valley Airport (KHDN), Hayden, Colorado at 1743, and Front Range Airport (KFTG), Denver, Colorado was the intended destination.

The pilot was delivering the accident airplane, on behalf of the manufacturer, to a relative of registered owner who was awaiting the pilot's arrival into KFTG. Following delivery, the pilot was scheduled to conduct instruction and familiarity flight training with the registered owner's relative in the accident airplane while flying cross-country from KFTG to Virginia.

PERSONNEL INFORMATION

The pilot, age 32, held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land, airplane multiengine land, instrument and flight instructor (airplane single-engine and multiengine). She was issued a second class airman medical certificate on January 3, 2013, with no limitations or waivers. The pilot reported a total time of 5,055 hours, with 903 in the Glasair Sportsman. She had flown 218 hours in the last 90 days and 81 in the last 30 days. Her latest flight review occurred on March 29, 2013.

AIRCRAFT INFORMATION

The high wing airplane, serial number 7369, was manufactured in 2012. The airplane was tail wheel with fixed main landing gear. It was built in the Glasair factory as a demonstration airplane; however, it was registered with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as an experimental aircraft certificate. The airplane was powered by a Superior XP-IO-400-J4HD9 engine equipped with a controllable pitch, two-blade propeller. The airplane was equipped with an Advanced Flight Systems 3400s multi-function display.

The last annual inspection on the airplane occurred on January 7, 2013, at manufacturing completion of the airplane.

The aircraft was not equipped with ice protection and was not certificated for flight in icing conditions.

AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL INFORMATION

An NTSB air traffic specialist reviewed the air traffic control information pertaining to the flight. Review of the radar track and radio communications with air traffic control (ATC) during the pilot's inbound flight from KHDN showed the pilot departed at 1801 under visual flight rules. She told air traffic control she intended to operate under visual flight rules at 13,500 feet until crossing the mountains, and would then activate an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan with ATC and request clearance into KFTG.

At 1823, at 13,700 feet and app