Colorado Aviation Accidents & Incidents

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On April 7, 2005, at 1219 mountain daylight time, a Piper PA-32RT-300, N3015L, was destroyed while landing on runway 29R at Jefferson County Regional Airport (BJC), Broomfield, Colorado. A postimpact fire ensued. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was being conducted under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 without a flight plan. The commercial certificated pilot sustained fatal injuries. The flight originated at BJC approximately 0900.

According to the air traffic control tower (ATCT) voice transcripts, the pilot contacted the ATCT at 1214, "ten miles to the north northeast sixty five hundred with Quebec." The controller acknowledged and directed the airplane to enter a right downwind for runway two nine right. The pilot of the accident airplane reported downwind and the tower controller requested "Lance one five lima can you give me a short approach [?]" (The recording had a sound of mike activation; however, this sound was not reflected in the transcript.) The controller cleared the accident airplane to "make short approach runway two niner right cleared to land." The pilot of the accident airplane acknowledged the clearance to land.

Airport surveillance video showed that the airplane impacted the runway in a left wing low attitude. The left main landing gear collapsed followed by the nose and right main landing gear. The airplane departed the right side of the runway, slid sideways on its belly, and impacted a runway/taxiway sig. The airplane came to rest in the grass between the runway and Alpha taxiway. A postimpact fire ensued. A witness stated that after the airplane came to rest, the pilot exited the right side of the airplane.

Airport surveillance video depicted a high wing Cessna aircraft taxiing south along the Alpha taxiway, towards the departure end of runway 29R at the time of impact. The pilot of this Cessna observed the accident airplane in a "low, wide," turn to final for runway 29R. The pilot of the Cessna stated the accident airplane overshot the runway and continued to turn back towards the runway.

According to another witness near the accident site, the accident airplane was observed overhead, "teetering back and forth." This witness observed the airplane bank "hard" towards the west, as if to line up with the runway. The witness lost sight of the airplane; however, he heard both the sound of an engine "revving" or increasing in rpm, and the sound of a crash. Shortly thereafter, the witness observed two balls of fire, one approximately 30 seconds after the initial ball of fire.

PERSONNEL INFORMATION

The male pilot, age 78, held an airline transport pilot certificate with multi-engine privileges and type ratings for DC-3, DC-6, DC-7, DC-8, DC-10, B727 and B747 aircraft. In addition, he held a commercial pilot certificate with single engine airplane land and sea privileges.

The pilot was issued a third class airman medical certificate on J