Piper PA-32-300 N4222R
19 August 2005 · Vail, Colorado, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 19 August 2005 at about 15:50 local time, a Piper PA-32-300 registered N4222R was involved in an accident near Vail, Colorado, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 were seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 15:50
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Vail, Colorado, United States
- Coordinates
- 39.5772, -106.2486
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32-300
- Registration
- N4222R
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Rock Springs → Leadville
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- DEN05FA128
People
2 people were seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
the pilot's improper in-flight planning and decision making and failure to maintain clearance from the terrain. Contributing factors include the pilot's attempt to takeoff from the highway, high density altitude, the downdrafts, and the sign.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
According to the pilot, he was flying eastbound along Interstate 70 with the intention of taking pictures. The pilot stated they encountered several "extreme" downdrafts and were unable to maintain altitude. The pilot stated he performed a "touch and go" landing in the eastbound lane of the interstate and was able to fly 50 to 75 feet above the road. The airplane encountered another downdraft, impacted the eastbound lane of the interstate, impacted a highway sign and bounced over the concrete barrier, traveled across the westbound lane of the interstate and came to rest off of the road, substantially damaging the airplane. The terrain at the accident location sloped up towards the north, east and south. The temperature 21 miles south of the accident location was recorded as 57 degrees Fahrenheit. Density altitude was calculated to be 11,067 feet.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Piper PA-32 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Jul 2005 | Piper PA-32-300 | Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States | Robert J. McMane | No injuries | - |
| 11 Sep 2005 | Piper PA-32-300 | Wabash, Indiana, United States | - | Fatal | 4 |
| 28 Mar 2005 | Piper PA-32-300 | Jeffersonville, Indiana, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 27 Feb 2005 | Piper PA-32-301 | Williams, Arizona, United States | Robert H. Christman | No injuries | - |
| 16 Sep 2005 | Piper PA-32-301 | Reno, Nevada, United States | Gregory Rexroad | No injuries | - |
| 5 Mar 2005 | Piper PA-32-301T | Destin, Florida, United States | David White | No injuries | - |
All 1,695 records for this type
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 Jul 2005 | Cessna 150L | Rocky Ford, Colorado, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 23 Oct 2005 | Lancair LC-40-550FG | Steamboat Spgns, Colorado, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 6 Aug 2005 | Cessna 172RG | Fort Collins, Colorado, United States | Colorado Contrails Aviation, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 7 Aug 2005 | Sheel VANS RV-8 | Fort Collins, Colorado, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 9 Sep 2005 | Cessna T207A | Telluride, Colorado, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 16 Feb 2005 | Cessna 560 | Pueblo, Colorado, United States | - | Fatal | 8 |