ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 37284
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| Date: | Wednesday 23 August 1995 |
| Time: | 10:17 LT |
| Type: |  Mooney M20F |
| Owner/operator: | Flight Training Center, Inc. |
| Registration: | N3768N |
| MSN: | 680112 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1968 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 3250 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoming IO-360-A1A |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Red Cliff, CO -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Leadville, CO (KLXV) |
| Watkins, CO (KFTG) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
TWO FLIGHT INSTRUCTORS TOLD THE AIRPLANE OPERATOR THAT THEY PLANNED TO MAKE A LOCAL FLIGHT, AND THEY RESERVED THE AIRPLANE FOR FLIGHT ON THE NEXT DAY. BEFORE FLIGHT, THEY TOLD AN AIRPORT RECEPTIONIST AND A FRIEND THAT THEY WERE GOING TO FLY IN THE MOUNTAINS. THEY DEPARTED WATKINS, COLORADO AT 0800. AT ABOUT 0930, THEY LANDED AT LEADVILLE AIRPORT, THE HIGHEST AIRPORT IN NORTH AMERICA. SHORTLY AFTER 1000, TWO WITNESSES SAW AN AIRPLANE FLYING AT LOW ALTITUDE INTO THE PEARL CREEK DRAINAGE. THE WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED AT THE 10,800 FOOT LEVEL. THE AREA WAS SURROUNDED BY THREE MOUNTAIN PEAKS (12,365 FEET, 12,693 FEET, AND 12,247 FEET). A CRATER WAS FOUND WHERE THE AIRPLANE HAD CRASHED. THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST ABOUT 45 FEET FROM THE CRATER. THE PROPELLER BLADES HAD CURLED TIPS AND CHORDWISE SCRATCHES, INDICATING THAT THE ENGINE WAS PROVIDING POWER DURING IMPACT. EXAMINATION OF BOTH PILOTS' LOGBOOKS DISCLOSED NO DOCUMENTATION OF MOUNTAIN FLYING EXPERIENCE AND NO RECORD OF HAVING RECEIVED A MOUNTAIN FLYING CHECKOUT.
Probable Cause: IMPROPER IN-FLIGHT PLANNING/DECISION BY THE FLIGHT CREW, AND THEIR FAILURE TO MAINTAIN SUFFICIENT AIRSPEED OVER MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN, WHICH RESULTED IN AN INADVERTENT STALL AND COLLISION WITH TERRAIN. FACTORS RELATING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE, RISING TERRAIN, THE FLIGHT CREW'S LACK OF MOUNTAIN FLYING EXPERIENCE, AND OVERCONFIDENCE IN THEIR PERSONAL ABILITIES.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB FTW95FA359
Location
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] |
| 09-Apr-2024 12:37 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Operator, Other fatalities, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Category, Accident report] |
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