ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 37207
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| Date: | Saturday 21 December 1996 |
| Time: | 14:00 LT |
| Type: |  Beechcraft A36 Bonanza |
| Owner/operator: | Sewall M. Osgood |
| Registration: | N3869A |
| MSN: | E-1853 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1981 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 3739 hours |
| Engine model: | Continental IO-520-BB |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 6 / Occupants: 6 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Chacon, NM -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Raton, NM (KRTN) |
| Glendale, AZ (KGEU) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The airplane collided with rugged, mountainous terrain while on a VFR cross country flight. According to all available information, the airplane was en route at an altitude between 9,000 and 13,000 feet MSL. Mountain peaks along the route of flight were in the 9,000 to 13,000 foot range. Area Pilot Reports (PIREPS) 16 for light airplanes, and weather observations confirmed that the airplane had flown into about 50-55 knot upper level headwinds, and through moderate to severe turbulence. One PIREP indicated that 'up' and 'down' drafts exceeded 1,000 feet per minute. Another PIREP indicated that 'stacked lenticular clouds were observed at a magnitude that he had not seen before.' According to the NTSB Meteorology Factual Report, the airplane was in severe to extreme turbulent air, and that mountain wave conditions may have been present at the time of the accident. The 8,200 hour pilot was familiar with the route of flight, and no condition of incapacitation was found during the autopsy. Examination of the airframe, engine, and propeller did not reveal any evidence of pre-impact failure(s).
Probable Cause: The pilot's failure to maintain altitude and clearance from the high, mountainous terrain. Factors were; high wind, turbulence, and mountain wave conditions.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB FTW97FA067
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 24-Oct-2008 10:30 | ASN archive | Added |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:23 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 08-Apr-2024 17:34 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Operator, Other fatalities, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Accident report] |
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