Accident Details
A private pilot landed at Front Range Airport in Watkins, Colorado, and refueled before waiting 90 minutes for a thunderstorm to pass. He then took off en route to Englewood, Colorado, but returned shortly after encountering steady-state precipitation. After waiting another 30 minutes for the rain and virga to pass and the wind to die down, he departed again from runway 17 with a 4- to 6-knot wind from 160 degrees.
Climbing to about 400 to 500 feet above ground level, the pilot began to feel the airplane sinking rapidly. He maintained an airspeed of 60 to 65 knots during the descent, and the stall warning horn sounded intermittently. The airplane subsequently collided with rising terrain south of the airport.
Pilot Account
In his statement, the pilot expressed the opinion that he had encountered a microburst during the departure.
Weather Conditions
At the time of the accident, Denver International Airport, located about 10 miles northwest of Front Range Airport, reported several cumulonimbus clouds at 5,500 feet in the area. Winds were from the east at 20 knots, gusting to 26 knots, with peak winds at 30 knots. A line of cumulonimbus clouds stretching from northwest to northeast was moving north, with rain showers to the northeast.