Piper PA-30 accident near Watkins, Colorado, May 11, 1993
On May 11, 1993 at about 11:05 pm local time, a Piper PA-30, registered N7198Y, was destroyed in an accident near Watkins, Colorado (Front Range airport). It was an instructional 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 STUDENT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN PROPER TOUCHDOWN ALIGNMENT, AND THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT'S INADEQUATE SUPERVISION.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 11, 1993 · about 11:05 pm local time
- Place
- Watkins, Colorado · Front Range · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-30 · all PA-30s on the register
- Registration
- N7198Y · registry record · serial 30-222
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT SAID THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN 3 TO 5 DEGREES NOSE RIGHT OF THE RUNWAY CENTERLINE, AND HE TOLD THE INSTRUCTOR TRAINEE TO APPLY LEFT RUDDER. THE RUDDER PEDAL DID NOT MOVE. THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT ALSO APPLIED LEFT RUDDER AND GOT THE SAME RESULT. AS THE AIRPLANE STARTED TO GO OFF THE SIDE OF THE RUNWAY, THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT APPLIED FULL POWER. THE AIRPLANE BECAME AIRBORNE FOR APPROXIMATELY 1,000 FT, THEN BEGAN TO STALL AND ROLL. TO AVOID STRIKING THE GROUND IN A BANKED ATTITUDE, THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT RETARDED THE THROTTLES AND LEVELLED THE WINGS. THE RIGHT WING STRUCK THE AIRPORT'S SEGMENTED CIRCLE, SPUN TO THE RIGHT, AND SKIDDED TO A HALT. POST ACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE RUDDER CONTROL SYSTEM DID NOT DISCLOSE ANY MALFUNCTION OR FAILURE.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,460 hours in all; 95 in this make and model; 160 in the last 90 days; 68 in the last 30 days; 1,400 as pilot in command; 770 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,118 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 5, 1993; 75 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-320-B1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 01V Aurora CO at 10:20 pm
- Destination: FTG
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 26, 8,000 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 6,000 ft; not recorded at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.
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.