Piper PA 28RT-201T accident near Brighton, CO
On January 11, 2015, a Piper PA 28RT-201T (airplane) was involved in an accident near Brighton, CO. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- January 11, 2015
- Place
- Brighton, CO
- Aircraft
- Piper PA 28RT-201T · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 39.991°N, 104.593°W
- NTSB ID
- 20150111X02134
Official records · CEN15FA101
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn January 11, 2015, at 1246 mountain standard time, a Piper PA-28RT-201T single-engine airplane, N82828, impacted terrain while maneuvering near Brighton, Colorado. The airline transport pilot was fatally injured, and the airplane was destroyed. 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. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight departed from Van Aire Airport (CO12), Brighton, Colorado, about 1220. According to witnesses who spoke with local authorities, the pilot taxied the airplane from inside his hangar and departed CO12. A witness described this as unusual because the pilot would typically tug the airplane out of the hangar and then start the engine for a flight. For several minutes, witnesses observed the airplane at a low altitude and maneuvering at high airspeeds. Witnesses last observed the airplane make a steep bank turn, descend, and impact terrain approximately 5 miles east of the Van Aire Airport. Local law enforcement, who spoke with the pilot's wife, had been advised that she believed he committed suicide. Recently, the pilot's wife had informed him that she wanted a divorce and was purchasing a home nearby the pilot's residence. She stated that approximately five years ago, the pilot told her that if she ever left him, he would fly his airplane into the ground and kill himself. PERSONNEL INFORMATIONThe pilot, age 41, held an airline transport pilot certificate, a commercial pilot certifi
Probable cause
The pilot's intentional descent into the terrain.
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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.
