Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

La Veta, Colorado 81055
Tuesady, July 6, 1999 7:45 MDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

The flight entered instrument conditions shortly after takeoff. The pilot was not instrument rated and had no instrument experience. The aircraft was observed by a witness to exit the base of the overcast cloud layer at high speed in a steep dive. The aircraft impacted the ground and disintegrated with a wreckage scatter pattern, which extended for 1,900 feet. The airspeed indicator was recovered with the needle jammed into the face at 190 miles per hour.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

The pilot's inadvertent flight into instrument meteorological conditions and his failure to maintain control of the aircraft. Factors were low ceiling and the pilot's lack of instrument experience.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 7/6/1999
Event Day of the Week Tuesday
Time of Event 745
Event Time Zone Mountain Daylight Time
Event City LA VETA
Event State COLORADO
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 81055
Event Date Year 1999
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 Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 754 Mountain Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 60
Weather Observation Facility ID PUB
Elevation of weather observation facility 4726
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 80
Time Zone of the weather observation MDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 800
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Clear
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 7
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 21
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 19
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 110
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 9
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) 6200
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 2
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 795
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jul 6 1999 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 830
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 12 2000 11:44AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N3334F
NTSB Number DEN99FA114
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 None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name Cessna
Aircraft Model 182J
Aircraft Series Identifier 182J
Aircraft Serial Number 182-57334
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 Annual
Date of Last Inspection Jun 17 1998 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours 1482
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name MORGAN, SEITZ, ANDERSON, MASEY
Aircraft Owner Street Address 3604 JULIE
Aircraft Owner City AMARILLO
Aircraft Owner State TX
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 79109
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name ROXANNE LINCYCOMB
Operator Same as Owner? No
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 Yes
Departure Airport Code 07V
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 735
Departure Time Zone MDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code AMA
Destination City AMARILLO
Destination State TX
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Takeoff
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 --