Piper PA-46T-350P accident near Colo. Springs, Colorado, September 13, 2006
On September 13, 2006 at about 9:24 pm local time, a Piper PA-46T-350P, registered N71DH, was substantially damaged in an accident near Colo. Springs, Colorado (Colorado Springs Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane, resulting in an inadvertent stall. Contributing factors in this accident were the jet blast encounter, and the pilot's failure to initiate a go-around when he felt an unsafe condition existed.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 13, 2006 · about 9:24 pm local time
- Place
- Colo. Springs, Colorado · Colorado Springs Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-46T-350P · all PA-46T-350Ps on the register
- Registration
- N71DH · no longer on the register · serial 4636027
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot had been cleared to land, and at that time the runway was vacant. While on short final, the control tower cleared a McDonnell Douglas MD-80 for takeoff. The pilot considered making a go-around, but decided against it because there were numerous airplanes following him. The pilot planned to touch down at a point prior to where the MD-80 rotated but encountered turbulence from the engines of the departing jet. The airplane pitched up and the airspeed disintegrated rapidly, causing it to land hard on its mains and bounce. The airplane bounced a second time and the pilot applied full power. The airplane impacted the runway a third time, causing the nose gear to collapse, and skidded to a stop on the runway. Further examination revealed the right wing upper skin was wrinkled.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,748 hours in all; 476 in this make and model; 68 in the last 90 days; 24 in the last 30 days; 1,638 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 841 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 2006
- Maximum gross weight: 4,318 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-35 (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FSK Fort Scott KS at 7:14 pm
- Destination: COS Colo. Springs CO
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 17R, 11,021 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 12,000 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
- Observation at 9:34 pm from COS
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N71DH the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.