Colorado Aviation Accidents & Incidents

HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn July 17, 2022, about 0938 mountain daylight time, a Cessna P337G, N337KN, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Gold Hill, Colorado. The pilot and three passengers were fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 air tour flight.

The owner of the company reported the accident flight was a local sightseeing flight, which was to remain within 25 nautical miles of the departure airport.

ADS-B data, depicted in figure 1, showed that the airplane departed from Rocky Mountain Metro Airport (BJC), Broomfield, Colorado, (elevation 5,674 ft msl) and proceeded along a westerly course for about 4 minutes before entering a right turn to a northwesterly heading.


Figure 1: ADS-B Flight Overview

For the next 10 minutes and 40 seconds, the airplane maintained a ground speed between 90 and 105 knots (kts) while maintaining a climb rate of about 380 ft per minute (fpm).

After leveling off at an ADS-B reported pressure altitude of 9,500 ft, the airplane was traveling about 95 kts. It slowed to about 92 kts while maintaining altitude, and 20 seconds later, began a turn to the left. The airplane’s rate of descent increased, and the airplane descended 1,100 ft over the next 10 seconds; the last recorded data point was located at an altitude of 8,400 ft about 579 ft northeast of the accident site. (See figure 2.)


Figure 2: ADS-B Data - Last portion of the accident flight.
A witness located near the accident site reported seeing the accident airplane descending as it neared his position. He reported that the airplane was very loud as if the engine was running at full power. The witness saw the airplane’s right wing rise abruptly before it entered a nose-down attitude and began to “corkscrew” until it descended out of view.

Another witness stated that the airplane was flying “super low.” She reported that the engine “made a clickity-clackity-type of sound, like it was not running smooth.” The witness further stated that the right wing lifted, then quickly lowered, before the left wing lowered and the airplane entered a clockwise corkscrew descent before the tree line. She stated that, when the left wing lifted, the engine noise stopped and she was certain that the engine(s) sounded like they were “struggling.” PERSONNEL INFORMATIONThe pilot was hired by the operator as a private contractor about 6 weeks before the accident. The accident flight was his fourth tour flight with the company. His logbooks were not located, but a review of dispatch logs provided by the operator revealed that he had flown the accident airplane for a total of 3.5 hours, of which 1.1 hours were described as training. At the time of the pilot’s most recent Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) medical exam on February 17, 2022, he reported 550 total hours flight experience.

The owner of the company that operated the flight reported that the pilot’s training included 3 hours of ground instruction vi