Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Steamboat Sprin, Colorado 80487
Friday, September 4, 1992 19:20 MDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE INSTRUMENT RATED PILOT OBTAINED A WEATHER BRIEFING AND WAS TOLD VFR FLIGHT WAS NOT RECOMMENDED DUE TO A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS BETWEEN HIS DEPARTURE POINT AND DESTINATION, AND A CONVECTIVE SIGMET HAD BEEN ISSUED. ADDITIONALLY, FLIGHT PRECAUTIONS HAD BEEN POSTED FOR MOUNTAIN OBSCUREMENT, LIGHT TO MODERATE MIXED TO CLEAR ICING, AND OCCASIONAL LIGHT TO MODERATE TURBULENCE. THE PILOT DID NOT FILE A FLIGHT PLAN AND DEPARTED. HUNTERS REPORTED SEEING A LOW FLYING TWIN ENGINE AIRPLANE CIRCLE THE AREA, THEN THEY HEARD THE IMPACT. THEY SAID THE WEATHER CONSISTED OF A LOW CEILING, REDUCED VISIBILITY, FOG, HIGH WINDS, AND RAIN THAT FOLLOWED A SNOW SHOWER. RECORDS INDICATE THE PILOT DID NOT FLY BETWEEN 1978 AND 1991, AND HAD RECENTLY BEEN GIVEN A CHECKOUT IN THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE. NEAR VERTICAL IMPACT RESULTED IN MINIMAL WRECKAGE SCATTER.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE PILOT BECOMING SPATIALLY DISORIENTED AND LOSING CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE. FACTORS WERE: THE PILOT'S DISREGARD OF THE PREFLIGHT WEATHER BRIEFING, HIS INTENTIONAL VFR FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS, HIS LACK OF RECENT INSTRUMENT TIME, AND WEATHER CONDITIONS.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 9/4/1992
Event Day of the Week Friday
Time of Event 1920
Event Time Zone Mountain Daylight Time
Event City STEAMBOAT SPRIN
Event State COLORADO
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 80487
Event Date Year 1992
Event Date Month 9
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 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness Full
Investigator's weather source Witness
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 Dusk
Lowest Ceiling Height 150
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Overcast
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) --
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 0
Variable Wind Indicator Variable
Wind Speed (knots) 25
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 Light
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) 2913
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Sep 4 1992 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 2125
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 47759
Date of most recent change to record Dec 11 2000 3:18PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N12GG
NTSB Number DEN92FA091
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 BEECH
Aircraft Model E-55
Aircraft Series Identifier E-55
Aircraft Serial Number TE-779
Certified Max Gross Weight 5300
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 6
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Dec 19 1991 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 409
Airframe Hours 5101
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name RMS SALES, INC.
Aircraft Owner Street Address 3050 W. 71ST AVENUE
Aircraft Owner City WESTMINSTER
Aircraft Owner State CO
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 80030
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name RMS SALES, INC.
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address 3050 W. 71ST AVENUE
Operator City WESTMINSTER
Operator State CO
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 80030
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 2V2
Departure City LONGMONT
Departure State CO
Departure Country
Departure Time 1830
Departure Time Zone MDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code SBS
Destination City STEAMBOAT SPRIN
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 10:35AM
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 --