Colorado Aviation Accidents & Incidents

On September 2, 1995, at 1330 mountain daylight time, a Piper PA- 18-150, N4253Z, departed the side of the runway and nosed over during landing roll at Westcliffe, Colorado. The private (commercial glider) pilot was not injured and the aircraft sustained substantial damage. The flight was operating under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91 as a glider tow flight when the accident occurred. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed.

The tow portion of the flight was complete and the pilot was conducting a final landing. According to the pilot, during landing roll, the wind was gusting between 10 and 20 knots from the west and the aircraft deviated to the west and went off the side of the runway. The pilot said there was a slope of 20 to 25 degrees off that side of the runway and the aircraft went down the slope and nosed over.

The nearest weather observation facility was approximately 30 miles away, over a range of 14,000 mountains. Thus the recorded weather is not necessarily indicative of the weather at the accident site. FAILURE BY THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL. A FACTOR WAS GUSTING CROSS WINDS.