Accident Overview
On February 16, 2013, at approximately 1802 mountain standard time, a Cessna 172, registration N6199E, struck the runway during landing at Colorado Plains Regional Airport (KAKO) in Akron, Colorado. The airplane was operated by a private individual under 14 CFR Part 91 as a personal flight. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The local flight originated from KAKO at an undetermined time.
Witness Observations
At 1750, a sergeant with the Washington County Sheriff's Office, on patrol near the airport, observed the accident airplane flying and watched it fly the traffic pattern. He saw the aircraft descending and then lost sight of it due to trees. When the sergeant saw the airplane again, it was nose down on the runway with the nose landing gear collapsed and on fire. He drove to the site and met the pilot and passenger. The pilot stated he “had come in at the wrong angle, stalled it, and nosed it in.” The sergeant noticed an odor of alcohol on the pilot’s breath.
A lieutenant from the same office arrived and discovered several beer cans under the airplane’s wing and near the accident site. The lieutenant detected a strong odor of an intoxicating beverage on the pilot’s breath, observed bloodshot eyes, difficulty walking, and slightly slurred speech. When asked if he had been drinking in the plane, the pilot answered “no.” He stated that he and the passenger purchased a twelve-pack of beer but did not consume any.
Pilot and Passenger Statements
The pilot and passenger were taken to the Sheriff’s office to provide written statements. The pilot wrote that during landing, he lost airspeed at about 10 feet above the ground, the nose fell down, impacted the runway, and collapsed under the airplane. The passenger stated that during landing, the airplane stalled about 10 feet above the ground. In a final statement, the pilot said that at 10 feet above ground everything was normal, but then the airplane suddenly nosed down and crashed. He reported no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
Injuries and Damage
The private pilot and passenger sustained minor injuries. The airplane was destroyed due to impact damage and post-impact fire damage.
Alcohol Testing
At 1931, the pilot performed a breath alcohol test at the Sheriff’s office. The test result was 0.078 grams of alcohol per 210 liters of breath. Federal Aviation Administration regulations prohibit any person from acting as a crewmember of a civil aircraft with 0.040 grams or more of alcohol per 210 liters of breath.