Piper PA-28R-201T accident near Hartsel, Colorado, March 16, 1997
On March 16, 1997 at about 1:15 am local time, a Piper PA-28R-201T, registered N38703, was destroyed in an accident near Hartsel, Colorado. 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 misjudging the proper touchdown point on the dirt road due to excessive airspeed and his failure to deploy flaps. Factors were the partial loss of engine lubricating oil due to the oil filler cap separating because some unknown person failed to properly secure it, and the pilot's inadequate preflight inspection.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 16, 1997 · about 1:15 am local time
- Place
- Hartsel, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28R-201T PA-28R-201 · all PA-28R-201Ts on the register
- Registration
- N38703 · registry record · serial 28R-7703261
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While in cruise flight, the pilot noticed oil on the windshield. He decided to make a forced landing on a dirt road. He said his approach speed was 10 knots higher than normal 'to avoid obstructions,' and he did not use flaps 'because I would not have made it to the road.' The pilot soon realized he was going too fast and would overshoot the road, so he turned towards an adjoining field. He maneuvered the airplane over a buffalo herd and landed. During the landing roll the airplane collided with a fence, rupturing the right wing fuel tank. It was discovered the oil filler cap was missing. The pilot said he checked the oil during preflight and it was 'about one-third down from the top' (about 6 quarts; capacity is 8 quarts). The oil filler cap 'was easily visible and in place,' but he did not physically check it for security. The oil filler cap was eventually located in a recess atop the right bank of cylinders where it had fallen. When the engine was later examined, 3 quarts of oil remained in the crankcase.
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: single-engine land
- Flight time: 155 hours in all; 4 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 88 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-360-SF (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FTG Watkins CO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 19°F (-7°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
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.