Colorado Aviation Accidents & Incidents
Learn from Colorado's accident history to fly safer in the Rockies
2310 Total Accidents
425 Fatal
816 Fatalities
1982-2026
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2 Fatal
COALDALE, Colorado
NTSB Narrative
HISTORY OF FLIGHT
On July 3, 1999, approximately 1011 mountain daylight time, a Piper PA-22-150, N4753A, owned and operated by the pilot, was destroyed when it collided with terrain while maneuvering 4 miles southwest of Coaldale, Colorado. The private pilot and his passenger were fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed for the personal cross-country flight being conducted under Title 14 CFR Part 91. The flight originated in Boulder, Colorado, approximately 0933.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the pilot obtained a weather briefing from the Denver Automated Flight Service Station (AFSS), but did not file a flight plan. According to a friend, the pilot purchased 15.3 gallons of 100LL aviation gasoline prior to departure. The friend said the pilot always kept 10 gallons of fuel in each fuel tank because he did not want to overweigh the airplane in high density altitude conditions. According to NTAP (National Track Analysis Program) data, a target was detected departing Boulder at 0933. It was tracked to the vicinity of the accident site, where it was lost from radar at 1011. N4753A was en route from Boulder, Colorado, to Center, Colorado, for the purpose of returning the passenger to her home.
On Saturday, July 11, it was noticed that the passenger's automobile was still parked in the Center Airport's parking lot. Family members made inquiries and when it was determined the airplane was missing, FAA and CAP (Civil Air Patrol) were notified. An aerial and ground search was initiated that day. No ELT (emergency locator transmitter) signals were received. With the aid of NTAP data, friends of the pilot located the wreckage the following day at the 10,350 foot level of Hayden Pass, between Coaldale and Villa Grove, Colorado.
The accident occurred during the hours of daylight at a location of north 38 degrees, 17.894 minutes latitude, west 105 degrees, 50.714 minutes longitude.
PERSONNEL (CREW) INFORMATION
The pilot, age 34, was born on July 10, 1964. He held a private pilot certificate with an airplane single-engine land rating, dated July 9, 1998. He also held a third class airman medical certificate with no restrictions or limitations, dated March 1, 1997.
A journal type ledger containing a record of the pilot's aeronautical experience was found in the wreckage. It contained entries from December 15, 1997, to June 9, 1999. According to this journal, the pilot had accumulated a total of 432 flight hours. His experience in the last 90 and 30 days and 24 hours was 17 hours, 6 hours, and 1 hour, respectively. His flight instructor and former fiancee said the pilot had a conventional logbook but it was never located.
AIRCRAFT INFORMATION
The aircraft maintenance records were never located. However, the mechanic who performed the last annual inspection on the airplane was located in Durango, Colorado. He said his records indicated an annual inspectio
On July 3, 1999, approximately 1011 mountain daylight time, a Piper PA-22-150, N4753A, owned and operated by the pilot, was destroyed when it collided with terrain while maneuvering 4 miles southwest of Coaldale, Colorado. The private pilot and his passenger were fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed for the personal cross-country flight being conducted under Title 14 CFR Part 91. The flight originated in Boulder, Colorado, approximately 0933.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the pilot obtained a weather briefing from the Denver Automated Flight Service Station (AFSS), but did not file a flight plan. According to a friend, the pilot purchased 15.3 gallons of 100LL aviation gasoline prior to departure. The friend said the pilot always kept 10 gallons of fuel in each fuel tank because he did not want to overweigh the airplane in high density altitude conditions. According to NTAP (National Track Analysis Program) data, a target was detected departing Boulder at 0933. It was tracked to the vicinity of the accident site, where it was lost from radar at 1011. N4753A was en route from Boulder, Colorado, to Center, Colorado, for the purpose of returning the passenger to her home.
On Saturday, July 11, it was noticed that the passenger's automobile was still parked in the Center Airport's parking lot. Family members made inquiries and when it was determined the airplane was missing, FAA and CAP (Civil Air Patrol) were notified. An aerial and ground search was initiated that day. No ELT (emergency locator transmitter) signals were received. With the aid of NTAP data, friends of the pilot located the wreckage the following day at the 10,350 foot level of Hayden Pass, between Coaldale and Villa Grove, Colorado.
The accident occurred during the hours of daylight at a location of north 38 degrees, 17.894 minutes latitude, west 105 degrees, 50.714 minutes longitude.
PERSONNEL (CREW) INFORMATION
The pilot, age 34, was born on July 10, 1964. He held a private pilot certificate with an airplane single-engine land rating, dated July 9, 1998. He also held a third class airman medical certificate with no restrictions or limitations, dated March 1, 1997.
A journal type ledger containing a record of the pilot's aeronautical experience was found in the wreckage. It contained entries from December 15, 1997, to June 9, 1999. According to this journal, the pilot had accumulated a total of 432 flight hours. His experience in the last 90 and 30 days and 24 hours was 17 hours, 6 hours, and 1 hour, respectively. His flight instructor and former fiancee said the pilot had a conventional logbook but it was never located.
AIRCRAFT INFORMATION
The aircraft maintenance records were never located. However, the mechanic who performed the last annual inspection on the airplane was located in Durango, Colorado. He said his records indicated an annual inspectio
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Details
| NTSB Report | DEN99FA119 |
| Aircraft | Piper PA-22-150 |
| Registration | N4753A |
| Damage | DEST |
| FAR Part | 091 |
| Location | 38.3493, -105.8307 |
