Jerrell RV-4 N44AZ
11 May 1996 · Englewood, Colorado, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 11 May 1996 at about 17:34 local time, a Jerrell RV-4 registered N44AZ was involved in an accident near Englewood, Colorado, United States. 2 people were 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.
The record
- Date
- at 17:34
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Englewood, Colorado, United States
- Nearest airport
- Centennial (APA)
- Coordinates
- 39.5798, -104.8600
- Aircraft
- Jerrell RV-4
- Registration
- N44AZ
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Peyton → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- FTW96FA208
People
1 person died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
failure of the pilot of the RV-4, N44AZ, to comply with an ATC clearance by landing on the wrong runway, and the failure of the pilot of the SU-29, N55SU, to maintain an adequate visual lookout. Factors in the accident were: the failure of the air traffic controller to restate the landing runway to the pilot of the RV-4 during a critical period of flight, his failure to advise the pilot of the RV-4 that operations were being conducted on the adjacent runway, a high traffic workload which resulted from an airport open house, and a lack of coordination to accommodate the high traffic workload.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot of the RV-4, N44AZ, had made initial contact with the control tower on the west arrival frequency, and was instructed to report entering a right downwind for runway 17R, which he acknowledged. At about the same time, the pilot of the Sukhoi SU-29, N55SU, made initial contact with the control tower on the east arrival frequency and was instructed to report on a left base for runway 17L. Both pilots were subsequently cleared to land on their respective runways. Instead of landing on his assigned runway 17R, the pilot of the RV-4 landed on 17L. The SU-29 then landed on top of the RV-4. The FAA's ATC handbook advises controllers to restate the landing runway whenever there is a possibilty of a conflict with another aircraft which is using or planning to use another runway. The threshold of runway 17R is 1,800 feet beyond the threshold of runway 17L. The airport was hosting an open house at the time, and airborne flights from a 'Parade of Flight' were in progress.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Aircraft involved
| Aircraft | Registration | Operator | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jerrell RV-4 RV-4 | N44AZ | - | Destroyed |
| Sukhoi SU-29 SU-29 | N55SU | - | Minor |
Other Jerrell RV-4 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Jul 1991 | Jerrell RV-4 | Yellowstonepark, Wyoming, United States | Donald A. Jerrell | Fatal | 1 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 Sep 1996 | Piper PA28-151 | Falcon, Colorado, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 24 Aug 1996 | Cessna TR182 | Telluride, Colorado, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 28 Sep 1996 | Piper PA-30 | Watkins, Colorado, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 6 Jan 1996 | Learjet 60 | Aspen, Colorado, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 30 Sep 1996 | Israel 1125 WESTWIND ASTRA | Aspen, Colorado, United States | Emery Air Charter | No injuries | - |
| 12 Jan 1996 | Piper PA-28-181 | Collbran, Colorado, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |