Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Arlington, Wyoming 82080
Friday, August 23, 1991 13:05 MDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE LOW TIME, RECENTLY CERTIFICATED PRIVATE PILOT DEPARTED DENVER, COLORADO, ON A VFR FLIGHT TO OGDEN, UTAH, ABOUT 1150 LOCAL AND REPORTED 6 NM SOUTH OF LARAMIE (LAR), WYOMING, AT 10500 FEET AT 1250 LOCAL. THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED IN A CLEARCUT AREA 31 NM WEST OF LAR AT 9,200 FEET MSL APPROXIMATELY 15 MINUTES LATER. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF SIGNIFICANT ROTATIONAL SCARRING ON THE PROPELLER NOR WITHIN THE ENGINE. TREE IMPACTS AT THE EDGE OF THE CLEARCUT WERE CONSISTENT WITH A RIGHT WING DOWN ATTITUDE. THE PILOT FILED WITH 4 HOURS 50 MINUTES OF FUEL ABOARD. A POST CRASH FIRE CONSUMED MOST OF THE AIRCRAFT. THERE WERE NO WITNESSES TO THE ACCIDENT. THE ENGINE WAS DISASSEMBLED AND THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION NOTED.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER FOR AN UNDETERMINED REASON. FACTORS CONTRIUBTING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE TREES AND THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE CLEARANCE ABOVE THE TREES.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 8/23/1991
Event Day of the Week Friday
Time of Event 1305
Event Time Zone Mountain Daylight Time
Event City ARLINGTON
Event State WYOMING
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 82080
Event Date Year 1991
Event Date Month 8
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 Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1250 Mountain Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 102
Weather Observation Facility ID LAR
Elevation of weather observation facility 7278
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 30
Time Zone of the weather observation MDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 15000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 8000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 50
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 27
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 0
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 70
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 10
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) 0
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 3
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 3
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 902
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date --
NTSB Notification Time 0
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 45169
Date of most recent change to record Dec 12 2000 10:40AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Unknown
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N14698
NTSB Number SEA91FA220
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed VFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire Ground
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name BELLANCA
Aircraft Model 17-30A
Aircraft Series Identifier 17-30A
Aircraft Serial Number 73-30615
Certified Max Gross Weight 3325
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 Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Apr 12 1991 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 9
Airframe Hours 1524
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name THOMAS B. & PAMELA SMITH
Aircraft Owner Street Address 16095 EAST STANFORD PLACE
Aircraft Owner City AURORA
Aircraft Owner State CO
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 80015
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name THOMAS B. & PAMELA SMITH
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address 16095 EAST STANFORD PLACE
Operator City AURORA
Operator State CO
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 80015
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 APA
Departure City DENVER
Departure State CO
Departure Country
Departure Time 1155
Departure Time Zone MDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code OGD
Destination City OGDEN
Destination State UT
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Approach
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 --