PIPER PA18-150
Colorado Springs, CO — November 2, 2008
Event Information
| Date | November 2, 2008 |
| Event Type | ACC |
| NTSB Number | CEN09CA079 |
| Event ID | 20081202X34003 |
| Location | Colorado Springs, CO |
| Country | USA |
| Coordinates | 38.85028, -104.08945 |
| Airport | Private airstrip |
| Highest Injury | NONE |
Aircraft
| Make | PIPER |
| Model | PA18-150 |
| Category | AIR |
| FAR Part | 091 |
| Aircraft Damage | SUBS |
Conditions
| Light Condition | DAYL |
| Weather | VMC |
Injuries
| Fatal | 0 |
| Serious | 0 |
| Minor | 0 |
| None | 2 |
| Total Injured | 0 |
Event Location
Probable Cause
Loss of directional control due to an encounter with a weather phenomena at rotation.
Full Narrative
According to the pilot, he was attempting to depart from an unimproved private airstrip. As the airplane rotated for lift-off at 35 to 40 miles per hour, it was "hit by a dust devil." The airplane rotated ninety degrees to the right and the application of full opposite control inputs failed to re-establish directional control. The airplane impacted terrain causing the left landing gear to collapse, followed by the collapse of the right landing gear, which resulted in multiple propeller ground strikes. The airplane sustained a bent right wing spar. The pilot reported the weather conditions at the time of the accident as a variable seven to ten knot wind, gusting to 12 to 15 knots. An hourly weather observation taken at the time of the accident 39 miles west of the accident site showed the wind to be 170 at four knots.
About This NTSB Record
This aviation event was investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). NTSB investigates all U.S. civil aviation accidents to determine probable cause and issue safety recommendations to prevent future accidents.