Colorado Aviation Accidents & Incidents

On December 12, 2004, approximately 1330 mountain standard time, a Piper J3C-65, N23375, owned and piloted by an airline transport pilot, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain while maneuvering approximately 5 miles north of Monte Vista, Colorado. 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 pilot and his passenger sustained serious injuries. The local flight originated from Del Norte, Colorado, approximately 1225.

According to the pilot's accident report, he was flying over his parents home at an approximate altitude of 500 feet agl. The pilot stated that he has no memory of the accident sequence or the events leading up to the accident. According to several witnesses, the airplane to pitched up. Another witness stated that the airplane "stalled off to the left wing." The airplane nosed over and spiraled down. One witness stated that at approximately 50 feet agl, the airplane appeared to "pull out"; however, the airplane impacted the ground in a 45 degree nose down attitude. The airplane bounced and came to rest approximately 130 feet from the initial impact point.

Both wings were bent aft longitudinally, and one wing was partially separated at the wing root. The propeller was bent aft, the engine was displaced aft into the firewall, and both main landing gear assemblies were crushed aft. A post-accident examination of the airplane's systems, conducted by the FAA, revealed no anomalies. the pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed which resulted in a stall during low level flight.