Piper PA-25-235 N9791P

Summary

On 16 August 2002 at about 19:40 local time, a Piper PA-25-235 registered N9791P was involved in an accident near Boulder, Colorado, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

16 August 2002 at 19:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Boulder, Colorado, United States

Coordinates

40.0169, -105.4061

Aircraft

Piper PA-25-235

Registration

N9791P

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Other Work Use

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Boulder → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DEN02LA096

1 person had minor injuries.

the pilot's inadequate preflight preparation, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and a subsequent loss of engine power, and his failure to maintain adequate airspeed during the forced landing, which resulted in an inadvertent stall/mush. Factors included the changing wind conditions, the high density altitude, and the lack of suitable terrain for a forced landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot said that he checked his flight time and fuel gauges (including fuel low level indicator light) before takeoff. While towing a glider, he experienced fuel exhaustion. He performed a forced landing to an open field, but the wind changed from a estimated 15 to 20 knots to no wind situation when he got close to the ground. The airplane stalled from about 8 or 10 feet, hit the ground, and nosed over. The engine was crushed back, and the left wing was separated from the fuselage. The calculated density altitude was 11,361 feet.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.