Piper PA-31T accident near Denver, CO
On January 25, 2003, a Piper PA-31T (airplane) was involved in an accident near Denver, CO. 5 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- January 25, 2003
- Place
- Denver, CO
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-31T · Airplane
- Injuries
- 5 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 39.767°N, 105.050°W
- NTSB ID
- 20030203X00145
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On January 24, 2003, at 1720:36 mountain standard time, a Piper PA-31T, N360LL, registered to and operated by Lee Larson Aircraft Sales of Northglenn, Colorado, and a Cessna 172P, N52241, registered to EDB Air, Inc., and doing business as Key Lime Flights of Englewood, Colorado, collided in midair over Denver, Colorado. The commercial pilot-in-command and the commercial certificated pilot-passenger aboard N360LL and the private pilot and two passengers aboard N52241 were fatally injured. The Denver Police Department (DPD) reported that six persons on the ground, including a 15-year old boy and a 2-year old girl, received minor injuries from falling debris. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and neither pilot had filed flight plans. Both flights were being operated under Title 14 CFR Part 91. N5224's flight originated at Centennial Airport, Englewood, Colorado, at 1708, and was en route to Cheyenne, Wyoming. N360LL's flight originated at Jeffco Airport, Broomfield, Colorado, at 1716, and was en route to Centennial Airport. At 1708, the pilot of N52241 was cleared for takeoff from Centennial Airport's runway 17L, and to proceed VFR (visual flight rules) "on course." At 1716, the pilot of N360LL was cleared for takeoff from Jeffco Airport's runway 29R, VFR, with a southbound departure. At 1717:52, the pilot of N360LL contacted Denver Terminal Radar Control (TRACON) and advised "We're just off Jeffco, down to Centennial." [At this point, radar data indicated N52241 was about 10 miles northwest of Centennial, its transponder transmitting a beacon code
Probable cause
Both pilots' inadequate visual lookout. A contributing factor was the Cheyenne pilot operating the airplane with a known transponder deficiency.
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Browse: Colorado · Piper 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.
