Piper PA-31-310 Navajo crash, May 1, 1991 (1 killed), Eng...
Piper PA-31-310 Navajo accident on May 1, 1991 near Englewood, Colorado, United States with 1 fatality. Cause: The left engine cowl separated in flight...
- Date: May 1, 1991
- Aircraft: Piper PA-31-310 Navajo
- Location: Englewood, Colorado, United States
- Fatalities: 1
- Phase of flight: Takeoff and climb
- Cause: The left engine cowl separated in flight because it had not been properly latched after maintenance, and the pilot failed to keep minimum control speed after losing the left engine. An inadequate preflight inspection and unclear cowl fastener indications were contributing factors.
A Piper PA-31-310 Navajo B operated by John Westbrook departed Englewood, Colorado, for Des Moines on 1 May 1991 with the pilot as sole occupant. Shortly after takeoff the left engine cowl separated, the left engine stopped, and the propeller was not feathered. The aircraft banked sharply right and crashed in trees, killing the pilot.