Animas Air Park Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Durango, Colorado 81301
Thursday, May 13, 1993 13:00 MDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE PILOT OBSERVED SCATTERED CLOUDS, VIRGA, RAIN AND LIGHTNING APPROACHING WHEN HE WAS 10 MILES SOUTH OF THE AIRPORT, AND UNICOM ADVISED THE WIND WAS FROM THE NORTH AT 20 KNOTS. THE AIRPLANE ENTERED PRECIPITATION AND ENCOUNTERED A DOWNDRAFT, BUT THE PILOT RECOVERED BY APPLYING MODERATE ENGINE POWER AND REMAINING HIGH AND FAST. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT AS HE CONTINUED HIS APPROACH TO RUNWAY 1, THE AIRPLANE ENTERED A VERTICAL WIND SHEAR AND LOST SEVERAL HUNDRED FEET. THE PILOT SAID THE AIRPLANE WAS BELOW THE AIRPORT ELEVATION (THE AIRPORT SITS ATOP A MESA), AND HE ADDED FULL POWER AND PULLED THE NOSE UP. THE AIRPLANE CLEARED BOULDERS AND TREES AT THE EDGE OF THE MESA, THEN THE STALL WARNING SOUNDED. TWO PASSENGERS AND A WITNESS SAID THE AIRPLANE STALLED. THE AIRPLANE STRUCK THE RUNWAY AND SLID 30 FEET BEFORE COMING TO A HALT.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

AN INADVERTENT STALL. A FACTOR WAS: DOWNDRAFTS AND THE PILOT'S CONTINUED FLIGHT INTO KNOWN ADVERSE WEATHER.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 5/13/1993
Event Day of the Week Thursday
Time of Event 1300
Event Time Zone Mountain Daylight Time
Event City DURANGO
Event State COLORADO
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 81301
Event Date Year 1993
Event Date Month 5
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport ANIMAS AIR PARK
Event Location Nearest Airport ID 5CO0
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport On Airport
Distance from airport in statute miles --
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation 6685
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Pilot
Time of the weather observation 0
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID
Elevation of weather observation facility 0
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 10000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 10000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 2
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 16
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 360
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 20
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 40
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) --
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Moderate
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 2
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious 2
Injury Total All 4
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 461
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date May 13 1993 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1520
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 50383
Date of most recent change to record Dec 11 2000 1:19PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N773JB
NTSB Number DEN93LA057
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 CESSNA
Aircraft Model 182N
Aircraft Series Identifier 182N
Aircraft Serial Number 18260610
Certified Max Gross Weight 2950
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 Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection 100 Hour
Date of Last Inspection Oct 18 1992 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 78
Airframe Hours 6289
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name GREGG FLYING SERVICE, INC.
Aircraft Owner Street Address P.O. BOX 1797
Aircraft Owner City DURANGO
Aircraft Owner State CO
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 81301
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name GREGG FLYING SERVICE, INC.
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address P.O. BOX 1797
Operator City DURANGO
Operator State CO
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 81301
Operator Code IKJA
Owner has at least one certificate Yes - certificate holder
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 ABQ
Departure City ALBUQUERQUE
Departure State NM
Departure Country
Departure Time 1200
Departure Time Zone MDT
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code 5CO0
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Landing
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 1
Runway Length 5000
Runway Width 50
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --