Colorado Aviation Accidents & Incidents

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On January 29, 2014, at 1432 mountain standard time, a single engine Diamond DA20-C1 airplane, N959DA, was substantially damaged after impact with terrain at Butts Army Airfield (KFCS), Fort Carson, Colorado. The flight instructor (CFI) and student suffered minor injuries. The airplane was owned by Doss Aviation Incorporated and operated under contract for the United States Air Force (USAF). The airplane was departing on a training flight for Pueblo Memorial Airport (KPUB), Pueblo, Colorado. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 public use flight.

According to air traffic control (ATC) audio recordings, the KFCS tower controller cleared the DA20 for takeoff from the approach end of Runway 13 about 23 seconds after a Sikorsky UH-60 helicopter was cleared for takeoff from a midfield location. The tower controller ensured a runway separation standard of 3,000 feet was present, as required by Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ATC guidance. The controller did not give a wake turbulence advisory, which was not specifically required by FAA ATC guidance.

According to the CFI and student, the airplane entered into a steep left bank soon after liftoff. The flight instructor attempted to counteract the left roll with full right aileron inputs, but was unable to maintain control. The airplane impacted terrain near midfield and came to rest inverted.

PERSONNEL INFORMATION

Flight Instructor

The CFI, age 59, held an airline transport pilot certificate with airplane single and multiengine land, airplane instrument ratings. The CFI's flight instructor certificate included airplane single and multiengine land ratings. She had flown 17,047 hours, including 823 hours as a flight instructor in the DA20 and 22 hours of rotary wing hours early in her career.

The CFI stated with certainty that she perceived the preceding helicopter to be a Bell UH-1, which weighs less than a UH-60. Interviews with tower controllers and other helicopter pilots operating in the KFCS pattern at the time of the accident confirmed the departing helicopter was a UH-60.

Student

The student was a USAF officer with limited flying experience. His previous flight time included about 15 hours in the T-53A (a Cirrus SR-20 variant) at the USAF Academy's Powered Flight Program. The student progressed normally through the initial flight screening (IFS) syllabus-directed program and had flown about 14 hours in the DA20 previous to the mishap sortie.

AIRCRAFT INFORMATION

The accident airplane was manufactured by Diamond Aircraft Industries, Inc. in 2007 and equipped with a Continental IO-240-B engine. The last annual and 100-hour inspections were completed on December 18, 2013. During the postaccident examination, no anomalies were noted with the engine, flight controls, or other airplane systems. The CFI and student did not observe any anomalies with the airplane.

METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION

The weather observat