Colorado Aviation Accidents & Incidents

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On September 12, 1998, at 0945 mountain daylight time, a Grumman American AA-1B, N6288L, was destroyed following a loss of power and subsequent impact with terrain near Colorado Springs East Airport, Yoder, Colorado. The commercial pilot and his passenger were fatally injured. The aircraft was owned/operated by the pilot under Title 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local flight which originated from Meadow Lake Airport, Falcon, Colorado, approximately 15 minutes before the accident. No flight plan had been filed.

According to fuel records at the Meadow Lake Airport FBO, the pilot last purchased fuel (15 gallons) on July 18, 1998. According to a witness, the pilot "normally topped off his fuel tanks whenever he purchased fuel." The pilot's flight logbook, dated July 18, 1998, indicated that the pilot flew 3 flights with different passengers (Experimental Aircraft Association, Young Eagles) totaling 1 hour. The time of day that he fueled his airplane or the time of day he flew his passengers could not be determined.

According to the pilot's mechanic, the airplane was taxied to his shop for its annual inspection on July 28, 1998. The mechanic reported that when the inspection work was completed, the airplane was ground run for approximately 10 minutes. The annual inspection was completed on August 23, 1998, and the pilot hangared the airplane; the mechanic endorsed the engine and airframe logbooks for the annual inspection on September 2, 1998. The mechanic reported that when the airplane left his shop, he estimated that it was 1/2 to 1/3 full of fuel.

According to a witness, on the day of the accident, the pilot arrived at the airport at 0730, and departed at 0800 for a flight around the traffic pattern. None of the witnesses on the ground were sure how long the pilot flew, or if he flew more than one traffic pattern. The mechanic that performed the annual inspection on the airplane stated that he believed this was the "post-annual test flight."

Another witness reported that the pilot took his first Young Eagle passenger for a ride (approximately a 22 nm loop, at approximately 1,000 feet agl), and returned to the field. The witness further stated that the pilot departed with his second Young Eagle passenger at approximately 0930. The wreckage was spotted on the ground by a Young Eagle passenger in another event-participating airplane at 1000.

PERSONNEL INFORMATION

According to FAA records, the pilot received his commercial pilots certificate on July 6, 1989. The pilot's flight logbook documented that he had completed his required FAA Part 61 flight review on June 26, 1998, and that he had accumulated an estimated 1,135 hours of flight experience by the time of the accident. His flight logbook further indicated that during the previous 12 months, he had flown 11 times for 22.8 hours of flight experience; during the previous 90 days, he had flown 6 times for 6.5 hours.

AIR