Colorado Aviation Accidents & Incidents

On June 14, 2002, approximately 1325 mountain daylight time, a Cessna TR182, N333AJ, operated by Simon Acquisitions LLC of Boulder, Colorado, was substantially damaged when the airplane made a hard landing and struck a tree at Glenwood Springs Airport, Glenwood Springs, Colorado. The private pilot sustained minor injuries and his two passengers received no injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a VFR flight plan had been filed and activated for the personal flight being conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. The aircraft departed Longmont, Colorado, at 1125, and its destination was Glenwood Springs, Colorado.

According to his accident report, the pilot was concerned about the airport's runway length and elevation so he maintained a low approach speed. As the airplane came over the runway, airspeed started to decay. The pilot said he didn't react quickly enough, and the airplane mushed onto the runway, bounced hard twice, and drifted off the left side of the runway. The pilot decided to abort the landing, so he raised the flaps, enrichened the mixture, and added full throttle. The airplane lifted off but its left wing struck a tree, spinning the airplane around 90 degrees. It slid 200 feet, struck some construction equipment, spun around again, and came to a halt.

Witnesses corroborated the pilot's account, saying the airplane touched down hard about 100 feet from the approach end of runway 32, bounced a few times, then swerved left onto the grass. They said the pilot attempted to abort the landing but, in the process, the left wing struck a tree. The airplane slid for about 200 feet before striking some construction equipment.

Weather at the time of the accident, recorded by the Eagle County Regional Airport's AWOS (automated weather observation station), located 22 miles east-northeast of Glenwood Springs, was as follows: wind, 280 degrees at 10 knots, gusts to 31 knots; visibility, greater than 10 statute miles; sky condition, clear; temperature, 82 degrees F. (28 degrees C.); dew point, 27 degrees F. (-3 degrees C.); altimeter, 30.17.

The airplane's left wing was sheared off and the fuselage was buckled. the pilot's failure to maintain clearance from a tree while conducting an aborted landing. Contributing factors were the pilot’s low approach airspeed, and his failure to maintain directional control during landing roll.