On July 27, 1998, a Cessna 172M (registration N5147N) operated by Flight Training, Inc. was involved in an aviation accident near Franktown, CO. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: Flight at an altitude insufficient to clear terrain. Factors were the pilot's failure to reset or correct a precessing directional gyro, his becoming lost/disoriented, and dark night light conditions. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive; 1 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
A pilot practicing touch and go landings at Centennial Airport collided with terrain southeast of the airport after a series of navigation errors on a dark night.
Flight Intentions
The pilot flew to Centennial Airport to practice touch and go landings. After departing the airport traffic pattern on an easterly heading, he tuned the no. 1 navigation receiver to the Falcon Vortac and rotated the Omni Bearing Selector (OBS) to 350 degrees. He planned to cross the 360-degree radial (interpreted as the 180-degree radial) and then fly direct to the Falcon Vortac and onward to Front Range Airport. This route was intended to avoid airspace associated with Buckley Air National Guard Base and Denver International Airport.
Navigation Actions
After flying what he believed was an easterly heading for 8 to 10 minutes—though evidence later indicated it was most probably a south-southeasterly heading—the pilot noted that the Course Deviation Indicator (CDI) needle had failed to center. He then executed a shallow 360-degree turn and searched for recognizable landmarks. Subsequently, he rotated the OBS to set a direct course to the Falcon Vortac, reset the directional gyro to the magnetic compass (making what he described as a significant correction), and descended to 6,500 feet mean sea level.
Collision
After flying this new heading for approximately one minute, the airplane collided with terrain at a location 11 miles southeast of Centennial Airport. Weather conditions at the airport at the time of the flight were reported as clear skies with visibility greater than 10 miles. The pilot later stated that it was a dark night.