Summary
On August 08, 2009, a Fairchild PT-19A (N54804) was involved in an accident near Colorado Springs, CO. The accident resulted in 1 serious injury. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this accident to be: The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed to avoid an aerodynamic stall during a high-density altitude takeoff.
The airplane departed runway 33 (6,000 feet by 60 feet, asphalt, with a slight up-slope). Witnesses reported that the airplane "never got more than about 50 feet in the air". The airplane then impacted terrain and came to rest just beyond the departure end of the runway. Fuel was present at the site, the airplane's engine and right wing had been torn from the fuselage during the accident, resulting in substantial damage. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Inspector, who responded to the accident site, stated that the airplane's wooden propeller was in "splinters" and that there "didn’t appear to be any control problems". The density altitude was calculated to be 9,590 feet.
This accident is documented in NTSB report CEN09CA505. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N54804.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed to avoid an aerodynamic stall during a high-density altitude takeoff.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
The airplane departed runway 33 (6,000 feet by 60 feet, asphalt, with a slight up-slope). Witnesses reported that the airplane "never got more than about 50 feet in the air". The airplane then impacted terrain and came to rest just beyond the departure end of the runway. Fuel was present at the site, the airplane's engine and right wing had been torn from the fuselage during the accident, resulting in substantial damage. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Inspector, who responded to the accident site, stated that the airplane's wooden propeller was in "splinters" and that there "didn’t appear to be any control problems". The density altitude was calculated to be 9,590 feet.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# CEN09CA505