Accident Overview
On June 29, 2011, at 1523 mountain daylight time, a Cessna R182, registration N2344C, crashed into an open field in Thornton, Colorado. The commercial pilot, who was the sole occupant, was fatally injured. A post-impact fire consumed much of the aircraft, resulting in substantial damage. The aircraft was registered to Julair, LLC, doing business as All American Aerials, Incorporated, and was operated by the pilot under 14 CFR Part 91 as a business flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local flight, which operated without a flight plan. The aircraft had departed Front Range Airport (FTG) in Watkins, Colorado, at approximately 1425.
Flight History
The pilot's wife stated she spoke with him by telephone just before departure. He told her he intended to take aerial photographs and voiced no concerns about the weather or aircraft performance. Radar data showed the aircraft departing FTG (elevation 5,516 feet) and flying to the Thornton area, where it began a series of turns at altitudes between 5,800 and 6,300 feet msl, with a groundspeed of approximately 110 knots. During the final 8 minutes, the aircraft maneuvered south of the E-470 tollway, making several orbits near East 138th Court and Boston Street. It then turned west, south, northeast, and north before disappearing from radar at 1521:54 at a last recorded altitude of 5,300 feet. Witnesses reported the aircraft maneuvering at low altitude with sudden high surface winds. One witness observed the wings "dipping" up and down, followed by a steep left bank and impact with the ground. Multiple witnesses reported an explosion and fire after impact.
Pilot Information
The 41-year-old pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with single- and multi-engine land and instrument ratings. According to a December 6, 2010, insurance policy renewal, he reported 18,000 total flight hours, with 8,200 hours in the Cessna 182. The same renewal indicated he successfully completed a flight review on July 5, 2011 (a date after the accident, as per the source). His pilot logbooks were not recovered and were presumed destroyed. A flight instructor who conducted the pilot's most recent flight review described him as knowledgeable and noted that he performed maneuvers including departure stalls, traffic pattern stalls, slow flight, turns around a point, and patterns and landings. The instructor believed he had professional training. FAA medical records showed a class 2 physical in April 2010. A few days before the accident, the pilot told another pilot that he was taking real estate photographs using a digital camera through the pilot window. He mentioned a previous incident where his aircraft struck a guy wire while taking photos, damaging the wing but allowing him to land safely.
Aircraft Information
The aircraft was a 1978 Cessna model R182. Airframe and engine logbooks were not recovered and were presumed destroyed. Maintenance records from a repair station in Marshfield, Wisconsin, dating back to May 2008, showed an annual inspection in April 2010 at 10,091.4 airframe hours. Subsequent minor maintenance was performed in June, September, and October 2010, and in February and March 2011. The last work order, dated March 28, 2011, involved cleaning, greasing, and cycling the landing gear system, and adjusting the right nose landing gear door rigging.
Meteorological Conditions
The aviation routine weather report (METAR) for Denver International Airport (DEN), 12 nautical miles east-southeast of the accident site, at 1534 reported winds from 190 degrees at 15 knots gusting to 21 knots, visibility 10 miles, a thunderstorm, scattered clouds at 8,000 feet msl, broken ceilings at 13,000 and 20,000 feet msl, temperature 32°C, dew point 1°C, and altimeter 29.99 inches. Remarks indicated the thunderstorm began at 1532, rain from 1516 to 1525, occasional lightning in the vicinity south, and the thunderstorm was moving northeast. The Terminal Aerodrome Forecast (TAF) for Rocky Mountain Regional Airport (BJC), issued at 1435, forecast winds from 350 degrees at 9 knots, visibility greater than 6 miles, scattered cumulonimbus at 8,000 feet agl, a broken ceiling at 15,000 feet, and thunderstorms in the vicinity after 1600 with temporary variable winds gusting to 35 knots. The National Weather Service had issued a Hazardous Weather Outlook at 1038 and an Area Forecast Discussion at 1225, both discussing potential thunderstorms and gusty winds. The Denver Center Weather Service Unit issued a Meteorological Impact Statement advising moderate to high microburst and low-level wind shear potential between 1300 and 1800.
Wreckage and Impact
The aircraft impacted a rolling prairie grass field and came to rest inverted near a horse pen, approximately 330 feet northwest of a house at an elevation of about 4,800 feet msl. The wreckage path was oriented 090 degrees magnetic and extended 112 feet from the initial impact point. The first impact left a 30-inch scrape and white paint chips. A second impact 43 feet east showed a smooth strike with gray paint transfer and white stripe marks matching propeller blade tips. Debris included broken Plexiglas, cowling pieces, the magnetic compass, and the right wing tip. The right cabin door was found broken out with the handle locked. The main wreckage consisted of the fuselage oriented south-southwesterly. The cowling, cabin, baggage compartment, and aft fuselage were consumed by fire. The left wing and inboard right wing were also consumed. Flight control continuity was confirmed for ailerons, elevator, and rudder. The engine was inverted, with heat damage. Both propeller blades were broken near the hub. A 26-inch blade section showed chordwise scratches and torsional bending. The post-impact fire burned an area approximately 70 feet by 72 feet and was extinguished by county firefighters.
Medical Findings
An autopsy conducted on June 30, 2011, by the Adams County Coroner concluded that the pilot died from blunt force injuries sustained in the crash. Toxicology tests were negative for all substances tested.
Examinations
Post-accident examination of the engine revealed heavy impact and fire damage to accessories. The crankshaft and camshaft rotated normally; all valves, rockers, and pushrods moved correctly; compression was confirmed on all six cylinders. The flap actuator indicated flaps at approximately 10 degrees. The landing gear was retracted. The elevator trim actuator extended 1.4 inches, indicating nose-up trim. The fuel selector was in the "both" position. Flight and engine instruments were charred and melted.