Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Lake County Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Leadville, Colorado 80461
Thursday, June 6, 1996 12:20 MDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
Before takeoff from a high altitude (9,927 feet above msl, 12,400 feet density altitude) airport on a mountain flying training flight, the CFI noted that the airport elevation was higher than the takeoff data charts provided for. During takeoff, the aircraft was rotated and settled back to the ground three times during takeoff roll. On the fourth rotation, which was at the departure end of the runway, the aircraft became airborne and descended down the side of an incline where it struck a power line and came to rest in a flat rocky area. All three occupants exited the aircraft with injuries. The investigation provided information that the airport elevation was above the highest altitude provided on the takeoff data charts, the mixture was not leaned in accordance with the procedures in the manual, and the flaps were not set in the proper setting for the type of takeoff being conducted. In addition, the investigation provided information that the flight instructor had received no formal mountain flying training, that there are no FAA approved mountain flying training courses, and to act as an instructor in mountain flying no specialized training is required.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Inadequate preflight planning and preparation and failure to follow aircraft operating procedures and directives. Factors were high density altitude, inadequate training of the flight instructor and insufficient standards and requirements for flight instructor training in mountain flying.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/6/1996 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 1220 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Daylight Time |
| Event City | LEADVILLE |
| Event State | COLORADO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 80461 |
| Event Date Year | 1996 |
| Event Date Month | 6 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | LAKE COUNTY |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | LXV |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 2 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 345 |
| Airport Elevation | 9927 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1225 Mountain Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 340 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | LXV |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 9927 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 1 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 5000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| 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) | -11 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 300 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 12 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 16 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 12400 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| 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 | 3 |
| Injury Total All | 3 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1530 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jun 6 1996 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1315 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 8 2000 10:04AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N9431D |
| NTSB Number | FTW96LA238 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Cessna |
| Aircraft Model | 172RG |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 172RG |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 172RG1159 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2650 |
| 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 | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Apr 24 1996 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 49 |
| Airframe Hours | 4216 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | E D B AIR, INC. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 6650 EAST IDA AVENUE |
| Aircraft Owner City | ENGLEWOOD |
| Aircraft Owner State | CO |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 80111 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | ALTITUDES FLIGHT TRAINING, INC |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 1300 EAST CONTROL TOWER ROAD |
| Operator City | ENGLEWOOD |
| Operator State | CO |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 80112 |
| 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) | Instructional |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | LXV |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | CO |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1210 |
| Departure Time Zone | MDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | APA |
| Destination City | ENGLEWOOD |
| Destination State | CO |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Takeoff |
| 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 | 34 |
| Runway Length | 6400 |
| Runway Width | 75 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |