Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Durango, Colorado 81301
Tuesady, July 27, 1993 13:00 MDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

WHILE ON A LOCAL SIGHTSEEING FLIGHT, THE PILOT DECIDED TO FLY TO PURGATORY, CO, A TRIP HE SAID HE HAD MADE 'MANY TIMES BEFORE.' HE TURNED LEFT INTO WHAT HE THOUGHT WAS THE HERMOSA CREEK DRAINAGE, BUT WAS ACTUALLY THE BUCK CREEK DRAINAGE, AT APPROXIMATELY 6,500 FEET MSL. WHEN HE SAW THE HIGH TERRAIN ON BOTH SIDES AND IN FRONT OF THE AIRPLANE, HE REALIZED HE HAD MADE A MISTAKE, AND HE IMMEDIATELY INITIATED A MAXIMUM PERFORMANCE CLIMB. AS THE AIRPLANE NEARED THE END OF THE CANYON, THE PILOT DECIDED NOT TO RISK STALLING THE AIRPLANE BY ATTEMPTING TO TURN AROUND. INSTEAD, HE SLOWED THE AIRPLANE TO JUST ABOVE STALL SPEED. THE AIRPLANE STRUCK THE TOPS OF TREES, SPUN AROUND, AND COLLIDED WITH THE TERRAIN. THE PASSENGER'S FATAL INJURIES WERE DUE TO POST IMPACT FIRE.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE PILOT'S ENTRY INTO A BOX CANYON AT AN ALTITUDE INSUFFICIENT TO CLEAR MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 7/27/1993
Event Day of the Week Tuesday
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 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 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 1256 Mountain Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 136
Weather Observation Facility ID DRO
Elevation of weather observation facility 6685
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 19
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) --
Visibility (Statute Miles) 10
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 28
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 1
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 190
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 8
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 14
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) 9252
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 1
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious 1
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1081
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jul 28 1993 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 845
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 11 2000 1:28PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N3783K
NTSB Number DEN93FA089
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 Ground
Aircraft Explosion Unknown
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name GLOBE
Aircraft Model GC-1B
Aircraft Series Identifier GC-1B
Aircraft Serial Number 1476
Certified Max Gross Weight 1970
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 2
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Jun 1 1993 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 1
Airframe Hours 1267
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name MCKINNON, RICHARD E.
Aircraft Owner Street Address 2414 BAY VILLAGE CT.
Aircraft Owner City PALM BEACH
Aircraft Owner State FL
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 33410
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 2480 COUNTY ROAD 234
Operator City DURANGO
Operator State CO
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 81301
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 Yes
Departure Airport Code
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 1220
Departure Time Zone MDT
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Maneuvering
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 --