Piper PA-28-140 N6276W

Summary

On 21 July 2001 at about 14:00 local time, a Piper PA-28-140 registered N6276W was involved in an accident near Calhan, Colorado, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

21 July 2001 at 14:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Calhan, Colorado, United States

Nearest airport

Calhan (5V4)

Coordinates

39.0306, -104.2891

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-140

Registration

N6276W

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Calhan → Colorado Sprgs

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DEN01LA127

Nobody was injured.

the loss of engine power due to fuel contamination (water). A contributing factor was the lack of suitable terrain on which to perform a forced landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

During the pre-flight examination of the airplane, the pilot found no water in the airplane's fuel tanks. Approximately 20 seconds after takeoff, at 400 feet above ground level, the engine lost power. He attempted to restart the engine, but was forced to land in a rough/uneven field north of the airport. The right wing spar was bent, and there was substantial damage to the firewall. Three months prior to the accident, the owner detected moisture in the fuel tanks and a "drying agent" was added. The airplane was not flown between the addition of the "drying agent" and the accident. Postaccident examination by an FAA Inspector found water in the bottom of the carburetor.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.