Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Leadville, Colorado 80461
Sunday, February 28, 1999 8:06 MST

The pilot had called the airport (elevation 9,927 feet) and spoke with the local flight instructor/FAA accident prevention counselor several days before the accident. The flight instructor advised the pilot not to fly to the airport with a heavy load due to the reduction in an airplane's performance in high density altitude. On the day of the accident, the flight instructor observed the pilot depart on runway 34 with two passengers and baggage (estimated gross weight of 2,950 pounds). She said that normal departure on runway 34 is a left crosswind, due to rising terrain to the east northeast. The pilot reported the he leaned the airplane's engine for full available power, but he believes that he got into a down draft after takeoff. The airplane was found approximately 1,500 feet northeast of the departure end of the runway. The maximum gross weight of the airplane was 3,050 pounds. According to the airplane's Pilot's Operating Handbook & FAA approved Airplane Flight Manual, at 10,000 feet density altitude, the airplane was capable of climbing at 490 fpm at 90 knots indicated airspeed.

The pilot's in-flight decision to turn into rising terrain, and his decision to fly into and out of the airport in a heavy weight condition after the local flight instructor/FAA accident prevention counselor recommended that he should not. Factors were the high density altitude, and the rising terrain.