Richard Lacourse WHEELER EXPRESS accident near Kersey, CO
On February 11, 2015, a Richard Lacourse WHEELER EXPRESS (airplane) was involved in an accident near Kersey, CO. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- February 11, 2015
- Place
- Kersey, CO
- Aircraft
- Richard Lacourse WHEELER EXPRESS · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 40.342°N, 104.559°W
- NTSB ID
- 20150211X81517
Official records · CEN15FA141
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn February 11, 2015, about 1433 mountain standard time, an experimental, amateur-built Wheeler Express, N564ER, impacted terrain while performing an off-airport forced landing near Kersey, Colorado. The private pilot and airline transport pilot-rated passenger were fatally injured, and the airplane was destroyed. The airplane was privately owned and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The airplane departed from Greeley-Weld County Municipal Airport (GXY), Greeley, Colorado, and was en route to Front Range Airport (FTG), Watkins, Colorado. An airframe and powerplant mechanic at GXY reported hearing the accident airplane's engine making odd noises as it taxied to the parking area. He stated that the engine was backfiring and sounded like one or more of the cylinders was misfiring. He went outside and saw the airplane taxi to the ramp in front of the airport terminal. Later, the two pilots came into his shop and stated that they were experiencing difficulty with the airplane's engine. The mechanic stated that his boss would be more knowledgeable about the subject and that he would return in about 35 minutes. The pilots stated that they did not want to wait that long and planned to return to FTG. The mechanic offered to accompany them to the airplane and listen to the engine as they started it. The pilots proceeded to board the airplane without conducting a preflight inspection and attempted to start the engine; howeve
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain airplane control during an off-airport forced landing following a total loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined during postaccident examination of the engine. Contributing to the accident was the pilots' decision to conduct the flight with known mechanical deficiencies.
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Browse: Colorado
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
