Accident Details
On June 30, 2012, at about 0920 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 172S, registration N917SA, collided with trees and terrain during a climb to cruise near Glenwood Springs, Colorado. The private pilot, who was the sole occupant, reported minor injuries. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and empennage. The aircraft was registered to Wings Up LLC and operated by Rocky Mountain Flight School as a rental to the pilot for a personal flight under 14 CFR Part 91. Visual flight rules (VFR) conditions prevailed, and the flight operated on a VFR flight plan. The flight originated from Glenwood Springs Municipal Airport (GWS) at about 0912, destined for Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport (BJC) near Denver, Colorado.
According to the pilot, he received a full weather briefing and filed a "round robin" flight plan from BJC to GWS and return. He used flight following with air traffic controllers during the first leg, which was completed without incident. After about 20 minutes at GWS, the pilot departed, noting no anomalies during startup, run-up, or takeoff. The pilot described a clear, calm morning and chose to fly on the left side of the canyon. He recalled making power increases and adjustments to the climb in response to rising terrain. The power increases did not seem to help, so he slowed the airplane to 70 knots indicated airspeed to minimize the turnaround radius. The pilot stated his memory became "extremely fuzzy" due to his injuries. He continued increasing power while the airplane did not respond to the terrain, then slowed further to make a turnaround and felt/saw the aircraft hit a tree.
Pilot Information
The pilot held a private pilot certificate with an airplane single-engine land rating and a third-class FAA medical certificate issued November 11, 2009, with a limitation for corrective lenses. He reported 136 hours of total flight time, including 56 hours as pilot-in-command. The pilot had received instruction on assessing canyons during a previous mountain flight but did not indicate attendance at a recognized mountain flying course.
Aircraft Information
The accident aircraft, a 2002 Cessna 172S (serial number 172S9177), was a single-engine, four-seat airplane powered by a Lycoming IO-360-L2A engine rated at 180 horsepower. The pilot reported the airplane had accumulated 2,025 total hours, with the last 100-hour inspection performed on June 29, 2012. The pilot operating handbook lists maximum climb rates at gross weight: at standard temperature and pressure altitudes of 6,000, 8,000, and 10,000 feet, rates were 515, 405, and 300 feet per minute, respectively; at 20 degrees Celsius warmer than standard, rates decreased to 450, 345, and 240 feet per minute.
Weather Conditions
Weather near the accident site was reported from Sunrise, Colorado (elevation about 10,567 feet, 12 nautical miles away). At 0947, conditions were: wind calm, visibility 10 statute miles, clear sky, temperature 18°C, dew point 1°C, altimeter 30.54 inHg. The calculated density altitude was 12,666.4 feet, with the temperature about 22.8°C warmer than standard. At Eagle County Regional Airport (elevation 6,547.4 feet, 17.5 nautical miles away), at 0850, conditions were: wind calm, visibility 10 miles, clear, temperature 17°C, dew point 1°C, altimeter 30.21 inHg, density altitude 8,075.5 feet, temperature about 15°C warmer than standard.
Wreckage Examination
FAA inspectors examined the wreckage and found no anomalies with the flight controls or engine.
Cockpit Video
The pilot had a GoPro HD2-14 camera in the cockpit. The camera was recovered without its data card, but the card was later provided and analyzed by the NTSB Recorder Laboratory. The video showed the accident flight; no airplane or engine anomalies were observed before the aircraft impacted trees on rising terrain.