Colorado Aviation Accidents & Incidents

On July 21, 1996, at 1940 mountain daylight time, a Barton Sylkie 1, N711WB, registered to and operated by a private owner, under Title 14 CFR Part 91, was substantially damaged during an emergency landing at JeffCo Airport near Denver, Colorado. The private pilot and his pilot rated passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan was not filed. The flight originated from Erie, Colorado, at about 1838.

The pilot-in-command reported that during an attempted landing to runway 08 at the Parkland Airport, with the private pilot passenger manipulating the controls, the airplane struck a six foot chain link fence post, damaging the right main landing gear. The fence was located approximately 175 feet from the threshold of runway 08.

The pilot-in-command further reported that after the impact with the fence post, he took the controls, aborted the landing, and continued to JeffCo Airport where personnel and equipment to handle his emergency landing were available. While the airplane circled the air traffic control (ATC) tower, ATC personnel confirmed the left main gear was down, and the "right wheel was missing." The pilot elected to land the retractable gear airplane with the gear extended. During the landing on runway 29R, he managed to maintain the right main gear off the runway as long as he could. Control was lost when the wheeless right gear contacted the surface of the runway, resulting in structural damage to the right wing and horizontal stabilizer. The pilot passenger's failure to maintain clearance from the fence due to his failure to maintain a proper glide path, and the pilot-in-command's failure to take remedial action in a timely fashion.