Safe Landing Executed in Aspen, CO

Pilot Barry Cox has just pulled off one of the best landings of his life, even though it was "high and fast." Cox had departed Aspen-Pitkin County Airport last Wednesday with three passengers, and was barely ten minutes into a routine flight when something decidedly "nonroutine" happened. Cox's 1988 Malibu PA46-310P ran into trouble. He was only 8 miles from the airport, enroute to DIA and barely through 16,000 feet when he noted the first signs of an engine problem... oil on the windshield.

Calling Aspen Tower, Cox was in the process of turning back when the Aspen Times reported he that "heard a loud boom." Shortly thereafter, Cox found himself at the stick of a Piper Malibu glider... with a great deal of engine oil obscuring the windshield and over some of the most inhospitable terrain in the Rocky Mountain region.

Using peripheral vision to see where he was going, Cox worked his way back to Aspen and made a successful landing just scant minutes after the problem first developed. Cox told the Aspen Times that it, "was exciting," but added that none-the-less it was, "...just one of those freak things."

Cox is a 7400 hour pilot, and was quoted as saying that the engine was a recent re-man... with only 147 hours on at the time of the failure. Cox told media sources that he thought the accident was caused by a crankshaft failure. Cox is now reportedly looking at a jet-prop conversion for this Malibu...

** Report created 12/28/2007 Record 9 **
IDENTIFICATION
 Regis#: 47BC Make/Model: PA46 Description: PA-46 Malibu, Malibu Mirage
 Date: 12/26/2007 Time: 1830
 Event Type: Incident Highest Injury: None Mid Air: N Missing: N
 Damage: Unknown
LOCATION
 City: ASPEN State: CO Country: US

DESCRIPTION
AIRCRAFT AFTER DEPARTURE, EXPERIENCED AN OIL PROBLEM, ON RETURN TO AIRPORT, CRANKSHAFT BROKE AND PROPELLER SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT, AIRCRAFT GLIDED TO A SAFE LANDING, ASPEN, CO

INJURY DATA Total Fatal: 0
 # Crew: 1 Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
 # Pass: 3 Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
 # Grnd: Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:

WEATHER: NOT REPORTED
OTHER DATA
 Activity: Unknown Phase: Unknown Operation: OTHER
 FAA FSDO: DENVER, CO (NM03) Entry date: 12/27/2007

ANN thanks the Aspen-Pitikin Airport for the use of the photos...

FMI: www.ntsb.gov