Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Red Cliff, Colorado 81649
Wednesday, August 23, 1995 10:17 MDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
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.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
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.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/23/1995 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1017 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Daylight Time |
| Event City | RED CLIFF |
| Event State | COLORADO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 81649 |
| Event Date Year | 1995 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1005 Mountain Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 175 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | LXV |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 9927 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 14 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 20000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 3500 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 30 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 16 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 9 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 0 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 11430 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | 2 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1221 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Aug 24 1995 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1300 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 7 2000 4:30PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N3768N |
| NTSB Number | FTW95FA359 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | MOONEY |
| Aircraft Model | M20F |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | M20F |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 680112 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2740 |
| 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 | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jun 1 1995 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 3250 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | CARL H. SCOTT/LARRY L. WAGNER |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 1509 10TH ST., SUITE 6493 |
| Aircraft Owner City | ALAMOGORDO |
| Aircraft Owner State | NM |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 88310 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | FLIGHT TRAINING CENTER, INC. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 5100 QUAIL RUN RD. |
| Operator City | WATKINS |
| Operator State | CO |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 80137 |
| 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) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | LXV |
| Departure City | LEADVILLE |
| Departure State | CO |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 930 |
| Departure Time Zone | MDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | FTG |
| Destination City | WATKINS |
| Destination State | CO |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Maneuvering |
| 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 | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |