Piper PA-28-140 N7536R

Summary

On 17 April 1993 at about 04:17 local time, a Piper PA-28-140 registered N7536R, operated by Sommer, Glenn, was involved in an accident near Falcon, Colorado, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

17 April 1993 at 04:17

Classification

Accident

Location

Falcon, Colorado, United States

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-140

Registration

N7536R

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Sommer, Glenn

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Co. Springs → Rapid City

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

DEN93FA042

1 person died.

INADEQUATE SUPERVISION OF THE STUDENT PILOT BY THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR. FACTORS WERE: IMC WEATHER CONDITIONS, DARK NIGHT, INACCURATE WEATHER EVALUATION BY BOTH THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT PILOT, AND INADEQUATE TRAINING OF THE STUDENT PILOT.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

AT APPROXIMATELY 2210 MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT TIME A STUDENT DEPARTED COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO, ON A STUDENT CROSS COUNTRY SOLO FLIGHT. THE STUDENT HAD 22 HOURS TOTAL FLIGHT TIME AND THIS WAS HIS FIRST SOLO CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT. THE STUDENT RECEIVED A WEATHER BRIEF AT APPROXIMATELY 1827 THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT AND THE INSTRUCTOR HAD RECEIVED A WEATHER BRIEF ON BEHALF OF THE STUDENT AT 0635 THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT. BOTH WEATHER BRIEFS INDICATED WEATHER PATTERNS COULD BE EXPECTED TO BE IN THE AREA NORTH OF COLORADO SPRINGS DURING THE TIME PERIOD ENCOMPASSING THE ACCIDENT. THE BRIEFS INDICATED THAT THE WEATHER WAS EXPECTED TO BE VISUAL CONDITIONS CLEAR OF CLOUDS. THE STUDENT PILOT HAD RECEIVED NO INSTRUMENT TRAINING AND THE FLIGHT ENCOUNTERED INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS AND RADAR AND VOICE CONTACT WAS LOST AT APPROXIMATELY 2217, 17 MILES NORTH OF COLORADO SPRINGS. THE AIRCARFT IMPACTED INTO OPEN TERRAIN AND WITNESS WEATHER OBSRVATIONS INDICATED LOW CEILINGS AND REDUCED VISIBILITY.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.