On March 31, 2013, a PIPER PA-28-140 (registration N55093) operated by Jason Bedford was involved in an aviation accident near Castle Rock, CO. One person was killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's loss of airplane control while maneuvering between two convective storms that likely produced low-level windshear. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
A Piper PA-28-140, N55093, crashed into terrain near Castle Rock, Colorado, on March 30, 2013, killing the sole occupant. The pilot was maneuvering between convective storm areas during a personal cross-country flight.
Accident Overview and Flight Details On March 30, 2013, at approximately 2000 mountain daylight time, a Piper PA-28-140, registration N55093, was substantially damaged after impacting terrain near Castle Rock, Colorado. The private pilot, who was the sole occupant, sustained fatal blunt force injuries. The flight was a personal cross-country operation conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91, with no flight plan filed. The aircraft departed Sandia Airpark Estes East Airport (1N1) in Albuquerque, New Mexico, at 1715, with Centennial Airport (APA) in Denver, Colorado, as the planned destination. The purpose of the flight was to transport the airplane from California to Denver following the pilot's recent relocation. Radar data indicated the aircraft was on a direct course to APA until it made several turns off track about 18 miles southwest of the airport before resuming its heading. The aircraft was flying between two areas of convective storm activity. Radar contact was lost approximately 16 miles from APA at about 8,000 feet MSL (1,500 feet AGL). No distress calls were received. A local resident reported hearing an airplane engine revving but did not see the accident. The wreckage was discovered in a ranch pasture on the morning of March 31, 2013. ## Personnel and Aircraft Information The pilot held a private pilot certificate with a single-engine land rating. Flight log entries indicated approximately 115 total flight hours, including 15 hours in the make and model of the accident aircraft and 12 total hours of night time. He held a valid FAA 3rd Class medical certificate dated April 20, 2010. The 1973 model Piper PA-28-140, serial number 28-7325321, had approximately 2,650 total airframe hours. Its last annual inspection was completed on November 20, 2012, at 2,596 airframe hours. The aircraft was equipped with a Lycoming O-320-E3D engine, serial number L-33470-27A, which had approximately 697 hours since its most recent overhaul. Registration records showed the pilot purchased the airplane in December 2012. ## Meteorological and Wreckage Findings Two residents near the accident site reported observing strong surface wind gusts and a temperature drop around the time of the accident. Surface weather observation stations in the region reported wind gusts up to the high 20s/low 30s mph near the time of the accident. The NTSB meteorologist noted that the convective activity was dissipating on either side of the flight track, with surface outflow consistent with the dissipating stage of storms. Thermodynamic profiles supported the presence of outflow. The forward fuselage sustained extensive ground impact damage consistent with a nose-low, near-vertical impact. The left and right wings exhibited accordion-type crushing along the leading edges, also consistent with a nose-down vertical impact. Both fuel tanks were ruptured and contained no fuel. The engine was examined on April 3, 2013, at Beegles Aircraft Services, Inc., in Greeley, Colorado. The propeller was separated from the crankshaft, with both blades bent and twisted. The crankshaft was not rotatable due to impact damage. No evidence of an engine malfunction was found that may have contributed to the accident. ## Additional Information and Medical Findings A friend of the pilot reported that the pilot had awakened around 0400 on March 29 to take a commercial flight from Denver to California to retrieve the airplane. He arrived in San Jose, California, around 1000, then traveled to Bakersfield, where the airplane was located. He flew the airplane to Phoenix, where he stayed the night. The pilot last spoke with the friend around 2100 on March 29, stating he was exhausted and had not eaten lunch or dinner. On the morning of March 30, the pilot called around 0800 to say he was beginning his cross-country flight and would stop in Albuquerque for fuel and lunch. His last contact was around 1730, when he sounded rushed and said he would arrive at Centennial around 2000. An autopsy performed by the Douglas County Coroner's Office determined the cause of death was blunt force injuries. Postmortem toxicology tests were negative for drugs and alcohol, with traces of caffeine detected.