Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Lake City, Colorado 81235
Sunday, May 31, 1992 16:00 MDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PILOT LANDED AT FALCON, COLORADO, REFUELED, THEN TOOK OFF INTO WHAT ONE WITNESS SAID WAS MARGINAL WEATHER CONDITIONS. THREE DAYS LATER, THE AIRPLANE WAS REPORTED MISSING AND SEARCH EFFORTS WERE TO NO AVAIL. THE WRECKAGE WAS FOUND ALMOST 2-1/2 YEARS LATER. DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT INDICATED THAT IT CRASHED WHILE TRAVELING AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED; EXCEPT FOR DEBRIS FOUND NEXT TO THE AIRCRAFT, THERE WERE NO GROUND SCARS OR EVIDENCE OF LATERAL MOVEMENT. SATELLITE PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT REVEALED CLOUD COVER AT BOTH DEPARTURE POINT AND ACCIDENT SITE. RADAR SUMMARY CHARTS SHOWED A BAND OF LEVEL 1, 3, AND 5 THUNDERSTORMS OVER MOST OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHEASTERN COLORADO. CONVECTIVE SIGMETS WERE IN EFFECT, AND AN AIRMET WARNED OF INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS, MOUNTAIN OBSCURATION, AND ICING. THERE IS NO RECORD OF THE PILOT OBTAINING A WEATHER BRIEFING.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

FLIGHT BY THE PILOT INTO ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS, AND HIS SUBSEQUENT LOSS OF AIRCRAFT CONTROL DUE TO SPATIAL DISORIENTATION. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS, AND THE PILOT'S LACK OF INSTRUMENT EXPERIENCE.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 5/31/1992
Event Day of the Week Sunday
Time of Event 1600
Event Time Zone Mountain Daylight Time
Event City LAKE CITY
Event State COLORADO
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 81235
Event Date Year 1992
Event Date Month 5
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 Unknown
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 Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Unknown
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 0
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) --
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 0
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 0
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) --
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Moderate
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 --
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1050
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Sep 5 1994 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1700
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 11 2000 2:55PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N2742T
NTSB Number FTW94LA288
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 35-C33
Aircraft Series Identifier 35-C33
Aircraft Serial Number CD-1086
Certified Max Gross Weight 3050
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 5
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Unknown
Date of Last Inspection --
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name LEHMANN, H.V. & WORLEY, BILL
Aircraft Owner Street Address P.O. BOX 1846
Aircraft Owner City NOVATO
Aircraft Owner State CA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 94948
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address
Operator City
Operator State
Operator Country
Operator Zip code
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 00V
Departure City FALCON
Departure State CO
Departure Country
Departure Time 1400
Departure Time Zone MDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Cruise
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 --