ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 172910
Last updated: 14 September 2019
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| Date: | 11-JAN-2015 |
| Time: | 12:46 |
| Type: |  Piper PA-28RT-201T Turbo Arrow IV |
| Owner/operator: | Tefft Wade H |
| Registration: | N82828 |
| C/n / msn: | 28R-8131015 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Adams County, NW of Horth Airstrip (CO77), E of Lochbuie, CO -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Brighton, CO (CO12) |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
Witnesses reported observing the pilot taxi the airplane from inside his hangar and depart. For several minutes, the airplane maneuvered at a low altitude and high airspeed. Witnesses then observed the airplane make a steep bank turn, descend, and impact terrain about 5 miles east of the departure airport. The pilot's wife had reported to local law enforcement that she believed he had committed suicide. The pilot's wife reported that she had recently informed him that she wanted a divorce and was purchasing another home. She added that, about 5 years earlier, the pilot had told her that, if she ever left him, he would fly his airplane into the ground and kill himself. Although the wreckage was significantly fragmented, no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airframe or engine were noted that would have precluded normal operation. The medical examiner determined that the pilot's manner of death was "suicide."
Probable Cause: The pilot's intentional descent into the terrain.
Sources:
NTSB: https://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief.aspx?ev_id=20150111X02134&key=1
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 12-Jan-2015 00:23 | Geno | Added |
| 12-Jan-2015 18:22 | Geno | Updated [Aircraft type, Location, Source, Damage, Narrative] |
| 13-Jan-2015 21:07 | Geno | Updated [Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Operator, Source] |
| 13-Jan-2015 21:20 | Geno | Updated [Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Operator, Source] |
| 20-Jan-2015 22:42 | Geno | Updated [Phase, Departure airport, Source] |
| 28-Mar-2015 19:23 | harro | Updated [Narrative] |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:28 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 01-Dec-2017 11:48 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Cn, Operator, Other fatalities, Nature, Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
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