Colorado Aviation Accidents & Incidents

HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn August 9, 2022, at 1250 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 182Q, N727PC, was destroyed when it was in involved in an accident near Centennial, Colorado. The private pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.

A witness, who was in his car at a stoplight near the airport, stated that he saw the accident airplane “going really slow” after takeoff. He was able to hear the engine “sputtering” and stated that the airplane appeared to be “floating in the air” before it “dipped” and came back up. He then stated that the left wing dropped, and the airplane rolled to the right and descended into the ground. PERSONNEL INFORMATIONThe last entry in the pilot’s logbook was dated July 15, 2022, for a flight in the accident airplane that was 1.2 hours in duration; this was the only logbook entry listing the accident airplane.

The flight instructor who had flown with the accident pilot during that flight stated that, as part of the airplane checkout, he wanted to perform stalls with the wing flaps extended, landings with 20° and 40° flap extension, and takeoffs with 20° flap extension; however, during their flight, the airplane’s flaps would not extend. They returned to the airport and he believed that the owner was going to have maintenance performed on the flap system. A couple of weeks later, the instructor received a text message from the accident pilot asking if he was ok to fly the accident airplane; the instructor responded that it was between him and the airplane owner. He did not have any further communication with the accident pilot. AIRCRAFT INFORMATIONReview of the airplane’s maintenance logbooks revealed an entry for an annual inspection completed at a tachometer time of 1,554.5 hours, total time of 435 hours, and prop time of 435 hours. The date of the entry appeared to have been corrected to read, “2-3-22.”

The aircraft time sheet recovered from the wreckage had its last complete entry dated August 6, 2022, at an hour meter (Hobbs) In of 1,174.5, Hobbs Out of 1,175.7, Total Hobbs of 1.2, Tach Out of 1,561.0, Tach In of 1,561.5, Tach Total of 0.4, Fuel Added of 38 gallons.

The tachometer indicated 1,561.6 hours and the hour meter indicated 1,176.2 hours at the time of the accident. AIRPORT INFORMATIONReview of the airplane’s maintenance logbooks revealed an entry for an annual inspection completed at a tachometer time of 1,554.5 hours, total time of 435 hours, and prop time of 435 hours. The date of the entry appeared to have been corrected to read, “2-3-22.”

The aircraft time sheet recovered from the wreckage had its last complete entry dated August 6, 2022, at an hour meter (Hobbs) In of 1,174.5, Hobbs Out of 1,175.7, Total Hobbs of 1.2, Tach Out of 1,561.0, Tach In of 1,561.5, Tach Total of 0.4, Fuel Added of 38 gallons.

The tachometer indicated 1,561.6 hours and the hour meter indicated 1,176.2 hours at the time of the accident. WRECKAGE AND