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DEN87FA103

1987-04-18 · ELLICOTT, Colorado, United States · Fatal · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport CO50

Aircraft involved

Factual narrative

THE ACFT WAS EQUIPPED WITH HAND OPERATED RUDDER CONTROLS. THE PLT HAD AN ARTIFICIAL RT LEG. ON A PREVIOUS FLT THAT DAY THE PLT HAD ATTEMPTED TO SPIN THE ACFT BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL DUE TO LACK OF RUDDER TRAVEL WITH THE HAND-OPERATED CONTROLS. THE PLT WAS NOT FEELING WELL AFTER THE PREVIOUS FLT, WHEN HE RETURNED TO THE ARPT HE WAS REPORTEDLY 'VERY WHITE'. WITNESSES STATED THAT THE PLT DRANK SOME COFFEE AND THEN DEPARTED. THE ACFT WAS SEEN DOING TOUCH & GO LANDINGS. WITNESSES STATED THAT THE PLT PERFORMED SEVERAL TOUCH & GO LNDGS BEFORE THE ACDT. AFTER THE LAST TKOFF THE ACFT MADE A RT BANK TURN IN EXCESS OF 60 DEGREES AT ABOUT 150 FT AGL AND CRASHED. THE AUTOPSY REPORT REVEALED EVIDENCE OF PRE-EXISTING ATHEROSCLEROSIS AND 50 PERCENT OCCLUSION OF THE ANTERIOR DESCENDING CORONARY ARTERY. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1987_DEN87FA103.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.