Aero Commander 100-180 N4015X
3 April 1994 · Steamboat Sprgs, Colorado, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 3 April 1994 at about 21:00 local time, a Aero Commander 100-180 registered N4015X was involved in an accident near Steamboat Sprgs, Colorado, United States. 4 people were on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 21:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Steamboat Sprgs, Colorado, United States
- Nearest airport
- Bob Adams Field (SBS)
- Coordinates
- 40.4902, -106.8307
- Aircraft
- Aero Commander 100-180
- Registration
- N4015X
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Unknown → Grand Junction
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- FTW94LA116
People
1 person was seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
Probable cause
AN INADVERTENT STALL AFTER LIFTOFF. FACTORS WERE AN UNFAVORABLE WIND AND HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
THE PILOT SAID THE TAKEOFF WAS NORMAL AND THE AIRPLANE LIFTED OFF AT 80 KIAS. AFTER CLIMBING ABOUT 40 FEET, THE AIRPLANE 'LOST LIFT AND LOST ALTITUDE' AND STRUCK THE RUNWAY, DAMAGING THE LANDING GEAR. THE AIRPLANE WENT OFF THE SIDE OF THE RUNWAY, DOWN AN EMBANKMENT, AND COLLIDED WITH A DITCH. THE PILOT SAID 'A SUDDEN SHIFT IN WIND DIRECTION WITH A GUST OF SUFFICIENT SPEED FROM CROSSWIND TO TAILWIND CAUSED THE SUDDEN LOSS OF LIFT.' ONE WITNESS SAID IT APPEARED THE AIRPLANE WAS CLOSE TO A 'DYNAMIC STALL,' AND HE DESCRIBED IT AS 'VERY NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE...HIGH ANGLE OF ATTACK...SLOW...UNSTABLE.' COMPUTATIONS INDICATE THE DENSITY ALTITUDE WAS AT 8,410 FEET MSL, AND THE AIRPLANE WAS NEAR ITS MAXIMUM GROSS TAKEOFF WEIGHT AND AFT CENTER OF GRAVITY LIMIT.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Aero Commander 100 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 May 1994 | Aero Commander 100 | Ocotillo Wells, California, United States | Edwin F. Cooper | Fatal | 1 |
| 11 Aug 1995 | Aero Commander 100-180 | Ocracoke, North Carolina, United States | Pelican Airways | Serious injuries | - |
| 12 Dec 1993 | Aero Commander 100-180 | El Paso, Texas, United States | Reed, James C. | No injuries | - |
| 25 Dec 1993 | Aero Commander 100 | Chico, California, United States | GUY S. Quigley | Fatal | 1 |
| 27 Jul 1993 | Aero Commander 100 | Vidor, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 27 Jul 1993 | Aero Commander 100-180 | Wray, Colorado, United States | Carson, Omer L. | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Jan 1994 | Bellanca 8KCAB-180 | Colo. Springs, Colorado, United States | Aerotech Flight Services | Minor injuries | - |
| 10 Jan 1994 | Cessna 195 | Watkins, Colorado, United States | Hoghland, Vohs, and Murphy | No injuries | - |
| 20 Jan 1994 | Bell 206L-3 | Cascade, Colorado, United States | Puget Sound Helicopters | No injuries | - |
| 1 Feb 1994 | Cessna 182P | Meeker, Colorado, United States | Steamboat Flight Academy, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 1 Mar 1994 | Cessna 177RG | Longmont, Colorado, United States | Debruzzi, Michael S. | Minor injuries | - |
| 8 Mar 1994 | Rockwell 690C | Hayden, Colorado, United States | Casper Air Service | No injuries | - |