Colorado Aviation Accidents & Incidents

On August 5, 1995, at 0916 mountain daylight time, a Piper PA-28- 180, N15621, was substantially damaged during an aborted landing at Englewood, Colorado. The private pilot and three passengers were not injured. The airplane was being operated as a personal flight under 14 CFR Part 91 when the accident occurred. The flight originated at Pueblo, Colorado, on August 5, 1995, approximately 0815 MDT. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed.

The airplane landed on runway 17L at Centennial Airport. The runway is 10,001 feet long and 100 feet wide. The recently certificated pilot, who reported 48 hours total flight time, said he failed to apply sufficient aileron into the right crosswind and the airplane began drifting to the left of centerline. The pilot hesitated to initiate an aborted landing because the airplane was too close to the runway edge. He then decided to abort the landing and applied full power. As the airplane lifted off, the left horizontal stabilator struck a taxiway sign. The pilot was able to land the airplane on the remaining runway. A weather observation made at 0845 hours indicated the winds were from 200 degrees at 6 knots. THE PILOT'S IMPROPER COMPENSATION FOR THE 6 KNOT CROSSWIND. FACTORS WERE THE PILOT'S DELAY IN INITIATING AN ABORTED LANDING AND HIS LACK OF TOTAL EXPERIENCE.