Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Crested Butte, Colorado 81224
Sunday, July 28, 1996 14:08 MDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

The two experimental airplanes, a Long EZ and a Mustang II, were flying patterns over the town at 1200 to 1300 feet agl as part of an aerial weekend. According to the pilot of the Long EZ, they flew abeam of each other then made a converging turn --- the Long EZ climbing and turning left, and the Mustang II climbing and turning right --- with the intention of rejoining. The pilot of the Long EZ said that as he completed 45 degrees of the turn, he looked through the top of his canopy and saw the Mustang II in a 120-135 degrees left bank and approximately 80 degrees nose low attitude. He said the pilot appeared to be pulling out of the dive when ground impact occurred.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control. A factor was the inadequatete altitude in which to effect a safe recovery.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 7/28/1996
Event Day of the Week Sunday
Time of Event 1408
Event Time Zone Mountain Daylight Time
Event City CRESTED BUTTE
Event State COLORADO
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 81224
Event Date Year 1996
Event Date Month 7
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 Unknown
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 1354 Mountain Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 161
Weather Observation Facility ID GUC
Elevation of weather observation facility 7673
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 26
Time Zone of the weather observation MDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Clear
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 10
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 26
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 3
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 360
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 6
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 16
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) 10016
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) 1319
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jul 28 1996 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1530
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 8 2000 10:11AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N16WY
NTSB Number FTW96FA324
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed Unknown
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name SLAYBAUGH
Aircraft Model MUSTANG II
Aircraft Series Identifier MUSTANG II
Aircraft Serial Number M-II-1246
Certified Max Gross Weight 1600
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? Yes
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 2
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Dec 7 1995 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 177
Airframe Hours 287
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name HUGH L. COX
Aircraft Owner Street Address 500 SPORTSMAN DR.
Aircraft Owner City ANCHORAGE
Aircraft Owner State AK
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 99503
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 1501 W. BROADWAY
Operator City ENID
Operator State OK
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 73703
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 No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code GUC
Departure City GUNNISON
Departure State CO
Departure Country
Departure Time 1330
Departure Time Zone MDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code WDG
Destination City ENID
Destination State OK
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight --
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:34AM
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 --