C152 pilot encounters severe WX condition and executes off airport landing.

Attributes
ACN	544789
Time
Date	200204
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : apa.airport
State Reference	CO
Altitude	msl single value : 6600
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Weather Elements	Windshear Thunderstorm Rain other
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : apa.tower
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Cessna 152
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure : on vectors departure : vfr
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	instruction : instructor
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 154 flight time total : 1096 flight time type : 108
ASRS Report	544789
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	instruction : trainee
Events
Anomaly	ground encounters other inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter : turbulence inflight encounter other other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	flight crew : landed in emergency condition flight crew : exited adverse environment none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Weather Aircraft ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Weather

Narrative:

We encountered severe downdrafts and microbursts causing the plane to descend rapidly. We could not maintain altitude and had an off airport landing. No persons or property were damaged. After having received a standard WX briefing, we had determined the conditions were suitable for our trip. There was some virga in the area where the tower vectored us, which initially caused the downdrafts. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that his intended flight was from centennial airport (apa) to front range airport (ftg) and return. He states that he obtained a WX briefing from denver FSS prior to departure and that there was no mention of windshear or microbursts along his route of flight. Reporter further states that centennial tower gave him the vector toward the area where virga was sighted. He also states that a king air gave a PIREP concerning 20 KTS of windshear about 2 seconds prior to the reporter's aircraft encounter with the microburst.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C152 PLT ENCOUNTERS SEVERE WX CONDITION AND EXECUTES OFF ARPT LNDG.

Narrative: WE ENCOUNTERED SEVERE DOWNDRAFTS AND MICROBURSTS CAUSING THE PLANE TO DSND RAPIDLY. WE COULD NOT MAINTAIN ALT AND HAD AN OFF ARPT LNDG. NO PERSONS OR PROPERTY WERE DAMAGED. AFTER HAVING RECEIVED A STANDARD WX BRIEFING, WE HAD DETERMINED THE CONDITIONS WERE SUITABLE FOR OUR TRIP. THERE WAS SOME VIRGA IN THE AREA WHERE THE TWR VECTORED US, WHICH INITIALLY CAUSED THE DOWNDRAFTS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT HIS INTENDED FLT WAS FROM CENTENNIAL ARPT (APA) TO FRONT RANGE ARPT (FTG) AND RETURN. HE STATES THAT HE OBTAINED A WX BRIEFING FROM DENVER FSS PRIOR TO DEP AND THAT THERE WAS NO MENTION OF WINDSHEAR OR MICROBURSTS ALONG HIS RTE OF FLT. RPTR FURTHER STATES THAT CENTENNIAL TWR GAVE HIM THE VECTOR TOWARD THE AREA WHERE VIRGA WAS SIGHTED. HE ALSO STATES THAT A KING AIR GAVE A PIREP CONCERNING 20 KTS OF WINDSHEAR ABOUT 2 SECONDS PRIOR TO THE RPTR'S ACFT ENCOUNTER WITH THE MICROBURST.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.