Piper PA-28-140B accident near Fort Collins, Colorado, March 19, 1997
On March 19, 1997 at about 2:09 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-140B, registered N98150, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fort Collins, Colorado. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
a total loss of power for reasons undetermined. A factor was unsuitable terrain for a forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 19, 1997 · about 2:09 pm local time
- Place
- Fort Collins, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-140B · all PA-28-140Bs on the register
- Registration
- N98150 · registry record · serial 28-26075
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The engine lost power shortly after takeoff and the pilot made a forced landing. The engine was later functionally tested and it operated normally. After disassembling the carburetor, the accelerator pump was found to function normally, and the metal float moved freely. There was no evidence that the float may have shifted and was binding against the housing. There were no obstructions in the one-piece venturi. The pilot said he was thoroughly familiar with the operation of the fuel selector.
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; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 583 hours in all; 11 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 501 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,799 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 18, 1997; 2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,950 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Bob Gates Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: 3V5 CO at 2:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 37°F (3°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:15 pm from FNL, 8 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number FTW97LA129.