Montrose County Municipal Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Montrose, Colorado 81401
Wednesday, March 1, 1995 10:40 MST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (VMC) WERE FORECAST FOR BOTH HIS DESTINATION, GUNNISON, CO AND HIS ALTERNATE, MONTROSE, CO. DURING FLIGHT HE DETERMINED THAT THE HEAD WINDS WERE STRONGER THAN FORECAST RESULTING IN INCREASED FUEL USAGE. HE DECIDED TO CONTINUE TO GUNNISON BASED ON INFLIGHT INFORMATION GIVEN TO HIM THAT VMC PREVAILED. ARRIVING IN GUNNISON, INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC) EXISTED, AND THE PILOT MADE AN ILS APPROACH. THE APPROACH WAS MISSED AND HE DIVERTED TO HIS ALTERNATE, MONTROSE. EN ROUTE THE PILOT ADVISED ATC HE WAS LOW ON FUEL. HE CROSSFED THE LEFT ENGINE FROM THE RIGHT FUEL TANK BECAUSE THE LEFT TANK WAS EMPTY. THE PILOT MADE AN ILS APPROACH TO MONTROSE. AT DECISION HEIGHT, THE RUNWAY ENVIRONMENT WAS NOT IN SIGHT. BECAUSE OF THE CRITICAL FUEL STATE, POOR WEATHER CONDITIONS, AND SURROUNDING HIGH TERRAIN, THE PILOT ELECTED TO LAND IN A FIELD HE HAD SIGHTED. THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN IN MUD AND NOSED OVER. OCCASIONAL IFR CONDITIONS AND MOUNTAIN OBSCURATION FOR THE ACCIDENT VICINITY WERE FORECAST IN PERTINENT AIRMETS PRIOR TO AND DURING THE FLIGHT.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO REFUEL THE AIRPLANE RESULTING IN A FORCED LANDING. THE ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE FACTORS.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 3/1/1995
Event Day of the Week Wednesday
Time of Event 1040
Event Time Zone Mountain Standard Time
Event City MONTROSE
Event State COLORADO
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 81401
Event Date Year 1995
Event Date Month 3
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport MONTROSE COUNTY MUNICIPAL
Event Location Nearest Airport ID MTJ
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport On Airport
Distance from airport in statute miles --
Degrees magnetic from airport 68
Airport Elevation 5759
Weather Briefing Completeness Full
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1026 Mountain Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 248
Weather Observation Facility ID MTJ
Elevation of weather observation facility 5759
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation MST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 400
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Overcast
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 1.75
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 1
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 1
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 330
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 10
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) 5397
Intensity of Precipitation Light
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Serious
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious 2
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 778
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Mar 1 1995 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1120
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 7 2000 4:09PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N208DK
NTSB Number FTW95LA128
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name BEECH
Aircraft Model 58P
Aircraft Series Identifier 58P
Aircraft Serial Number TJ-201
Certified Max Gross Weight 6200
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 6
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Jan 15 1995 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 50
Airframe Hours 2100
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name BHEM, INC.
Aircraft Owner Street Address 825 N. WACO
Aircraft Owner City WICHITA
Aircraft Owner State KS
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 67203
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address
Operator City
Operator State
Operator Country
Operator Zip code
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Business
Second Pilot on Board Yes
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code FTW
Departure City FORT WORTH
Departure State TX
Departure Country
Departure Time 800
Departure Time Zone CST
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Approach
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:30AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 17
Runway Length 10000
Runway Width 150
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --