Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE TERRAIN CLEARANCE. A FACTOR WAS THE INTENTIONAL LOW PASS PERFORMED BY THE PILOT IN COMMAND.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
On July 27, 1993, at approximately 1939 mountain daylight time, a Piper J3C-90, N33111, collided with terrain while maneuvering near Meeker, Colorado. The airplane was destroyed and the private pilot was seriously injured. The passenger sustained minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local personal flight.
The pilot had no recollection of the events surrounding the accident. Witnesses, however, revealed the following information during interviews conducted by Federal Aviation Administration inspectors and local authorities. The airplane approached from the east end of a hay field where one of the witnesses, the pilot's brother, was operating a tractor. The airplane passed over the tractor at approximately 75 feet, then descended into an irrigation ditch. The main gear struck the other side of the ditch and the airplane came to rest inverted.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# DEN93LA088