Cessna 172 accident near Gill, CO
On March 14, 1999, a Cessna 172 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Gill, CO. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- March 14, 1999
- Place
- Gill, CO
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 40.649°N, 105.029°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001205X00301
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On March 13, 1999, at 1848 mountain standard time, a Cessna 172, N6085A, owned and operated by the pilot, was destroyed when it collided with terrain about 11 miles east of Gill, Colorado, near the community of Barnesville. The private pilot and his passenger were fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time, and no flight had been filed for the personal flight being conducted under Title 14 CFR Part 91. The flight originated at Greeley, Colorado, approximately 1730. George D. Aunger, the passenger aboard N6085A, had expressed an interest in learning to fly to his friend, James D. Papka, the pilot. Mr. Papka offered to take him flying in his airplane, and Mr. Aunger accepted. According to Parts America, Mr. Aunger finished work on the afternoon of the accident and clocked out at 1630. No one saw N6085A take off. Several people reported seeing the pilot earlier in the afternoon. The accident occurred shortly after dusk at the location 40 degrees, 26.41 minutes north latitude; 104 degrees, 21.80 minutes west longitude. PERSONNEL (CREW) INFORMATION The pilot, James D. Papka, age 56, was born on December 13, 1942. He held Private Pilot Certificate No. 502424007, dated January 22, 1997, with an airplane single-engine land rating. He also held a second class airman medical certificate, dated December 2, 1997, with a restriction for near vision. Mr. Papka's flight logbook contained entries from September 27, 1995, to March 6, 1999 (a summary of his flight time can be found on page 3 of this report). Of the 473.8 total flight hours recor
Probable cause
The pilot's intentional maneuvering at an unwarranted low altitude resulting in a collision with the ground. Factors were the pilot's ostentatious behavioral display and reduced lighting (dusk) conditions.
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Browse: Colorado · Cessna aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
