Cessna 150 accident near Watkins, CO
On May 31, 2014, a Cessna 150 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Watkins, CO. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- May 31, 2014
- Place
- Watkins, CO
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 39.801°N, 104.594°W
- NTSB ID
- 20140531X12318
Official records · CEN14FA265
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On May 31, 2014, at 0022 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 150K airplane, N6275G, impacted terrain 2 miles west of the Front Range Airport (FTG), near Watkins, Colorado. The instrument rated pilot and one passenger were fatally injured. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The airplane was registered to and operated by a private individual under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Night instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) prevailed for the flight, which did not operate on a flight plan. The local flight originated from FTG at 0018. The airplane was reported missing about 0330. Front Range Airport personnel located the wreckage about 0730 in a wheat field about 2 miles west-northwest of the airport. There were no witnesses to the accident. The pilot was not in contact with Air Traffic Control (ATC), but the flight path was captured on radar. The airplane impacted the field with the left wing first, bounced one time and came to rest upright. An onboard image recorder (GoPro) was found in the wreckage and its data card was reviewed by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Vehicle Recorders Laboratory. The video revealed that the camera recorded the events prior to the accident; however, the accident sequence was not recorded. PERSONNEL INFORMATION The pilot, age 29, held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for single engine land, multi-engine land and instrument airplane. The pilot also held a ground instructor certificate. The pilot was issued an unrestricted first class medical certifi
Probable cause
The pilot’s loss of control and subsequent aerodynamic stall due to spatial disorientation in night instrument meteorological conditions. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s distraction due to his cell phone use while maneuvering at low-altitude.
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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.
