Piper PA 28RT-201T N82828
11 January 2015 · Brighton, Colorado, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 11 January 2015 at about 19:46 local time, a Piper PA 28RT-201T registered N82828, operated by Tefft Wade H, was involved in an accident near Brighton, Colorado, United States. One person was 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 19:46
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Brighton, Colorado, United States
- Nearest airport
- Van Aire Airport (CO12)
- Coordinates
- 39.9914, -104.5933
- Aircraft
- Piper PA 28RT-201T
- Registration
- N82828
- Category
- Airplane
- Year built
- 1980
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Tefft Wade H
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Brighton → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- CEN15FA101
People
1 person died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
The pilot's intentional descent into the terrain.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
Witnesses reported observing the pilot taxi the airplane from inside his hangar and depart. For several minutes, the airplane maneuvered at a low altitude and high airspeed. Witnesses then observed the airplane make a steep bank turn, descend, and impact terrain about 5 miles east of the departure airport. The pilot's wife had reported to local law enforcement that she believed he had committed suicide. The pilot's wife reported that she had recently informed him that she wanted a divorce and was purchasing another home. She added that, about 5 years earlier, the pilot had told her that, if she ever left him, he would fly his airplane into the ground and kill himself. Although the wreckage was significantly fragmented, no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airframe or engine were noted that would have precluded normal operation. The medical examiner determined that the pilot's manner of death was "suicide."
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Piper PA-28RT accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 Sep 2015 | Piper PA 28RT-201T | Dawson Springs, Kentucky, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 30 May 2015 | Piper PA-28RT-201T | Grenchen, Switzerland | Maximair AG | No injuries | - |
| 4 Sep 2015 | Piper PA 28RT-201 | Russell Springs, Kentucky, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 19 Jan 2016 | Piper PA 28RT-201 | Terrell, Texas, United States | J. Linn Aviation Inc | No injuries | - |
| 27 Jul 2014 | Piper PA 28RT-201T | Houston, Texas, United States | Stockstill Frank T | No injuries | - |
| 24 Feb 2013 | Piper PA-28RT-201 | Lutz, Florida, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 Feb 2015 | Gulfstream G IV | Eagle, Colorado, United States | Executive Air Charter of Boca Raton | No injuries | - |
| 17 Apr 2015 | Fairchild SA227 AC | Rifle, Colorado, United States | Key Lime Air Corporation | No injuries | - |
| 11 Feb 2015 | Richard Lacourse WHEELER EXPRESS | Kersey, Colorado, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 9 Nov 2015 | Cirrus SR22 | Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 10 Jun 2015 | Diamond DA 20 C1 | Pueblo, Colorado, United States | Doss Aviation Inc | No injuries | - |
| 16 Feb 2015 | Beechcraft 58 | Denver, Colorado, United States | GTA Air Inc | No injuries | - |