Piper PA 28RT-201T accident near Brighton, Colorado, January 11, 2015
On January 11, 2015 at about 7:46 pm local time, a 1980 Piper PA 28RT-201T, registered N82828, was destroyed in an accident during maneuvering near Brighton, Colorado (Van Aire Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's intentional descent into the terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 11, 2015 · about 7:46 pm local time
- Place
- Brighton, Colorado · Van Aire Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA 28RT-201T, built 1980 · all PA 28RT-201Ts on the register
- Registration
- N82828 · no longer on the register · serial 28R-8131015
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Witnesses reported observing the pilot taxi the airplane from inside his hangar and depart. For several minutes, the airplane maneuvered at a low altitude and high airspeed. Witnesses then observed the airplane make a steep bank turn, descend, and impact terrain about 5 miles east of the departure airport. The pilot's wife had reported to local law enforcement that she believed he had committed suicide. The pilot's wife reported that she had recently informed him that she wanted a divorce and was purchasing another home. She added that, about 5 years earlier, the pilot had told her that, if she ever left him, he would fly his airplane into the ground and kill himself. Although the wreckage was significantly fragmented, no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airframe or engine were noted that would have precluded normal operation. The medical examiner determined that the pilot's manner of death was "suicide."
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Security/criminal event during maneuvering defining event
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during maneuvering
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Miscellaneous › Intentional act › Suicide › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 10,600 hours in all; 400 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,105.9 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 6, 2014
- Maximum gross weight: 2,749 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Cont Motor TSIO-360 SER (piston); 4,106 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CO12 Brighton CO at 7:20 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 11,000 ft; a few clouds at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from DEN, 11 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
12 documents, released by the NTSB on March 24, 2015. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Witness Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Excerpt of Sheriff Report | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Excerpt of Maintenance Records | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Party Form | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Wreckage Release | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Toxicological Report | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | Photo 1 - Debris Area | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 8 | Photo 2 - Debris Area | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 9 | Photo 3 - Fuselage | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 10 | Photo 4 - Fuselage | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 11 | Photo 5 - Empennage | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 12 | Photo 6 - Forward Fuselage and Engine | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.