Colorado Aviation Accidents & Incidents

On August 4, 2002, approximately 1140 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 172S, N238SP, registered to EDB Air, Inc., and operated by Key Lime Flight School, both of Englewood, Colorado, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain during a touch-and-go landing at Centennial Airport, Englewood, CO. The instructor pilot and commercial pilot receiving instruction were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed for the instructional flight being conducted under Title 14 CFR Part 91. The local flight originated approximately 1030.

According to the pilot receiving instruction, he was flying the airplane from the right seat. He made four touch-and-go landings. The fifth approach was normal, with a flap setting of 30 degrees, but the flare was too high and the airplane landed hard and bounced. He added full power and began to fly down the runway for a go-around. He said the instructor "adjusted the flap position and the airplane lost all lift and fell to the runway." The airplane slid across a grassy area and came to a halt on the taxiway. The nose landing gear was collapsed and the firewall was buckled. Both propeller blades were curled forward.

The following weather observation was recorded shortly after the accident: wind, variable at 4 knots; visibility, 10 statute miles; temperature, 81 degrees Fahrenheit; dew point, 52 degrees Fahrenheit; altimeter, 30.25. The airport elevation was 5,883 ft. msl, and the calculated density altitude was 8,385 ft. msl. the instructor's inadequate supervision of the flight and his premature raising of the flaps, resulting in a hard landing.