Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Aspen, Colorado 81611
Monday, August 16, 1999 9:30 MDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

The pilot said that he departed runway 33 at Aspen, turned right crosswind, and headed towards the pass. He said that when he got above 11,000 feet msl, 'the airplane really got mushy.' He said that he believed that he wasn't going to make it over the pass (elevation 12,095 feet), so he landed straight ahead. During the landing on brush covered rising mountainous terrain, the right wing impacted a sign post wing and the airplane spun 180 degrees. The density altitude at the accident site was 13,136 feet.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

The pilot's inadequate in flight planning. Factors were the high density altitude, the lack of suitable terrain for a forced landing, and the sign post that the right wing impacted.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 8/16/1999
Event Day of the Week Monday
Time of Event 930
Event Time Zone Mountain Daylight Time
Event City ASPEN
Event State COLORADO
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 81611
Event Date Year 1999
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 --
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 853 Mountain Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 300
Weather Observation Facility ID ASE
Elevation of weather observation facility 7815
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 16
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) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 10
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 13
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 6
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 0
Variable Wind Indicator Variable
Wind Speed (knots) 3
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) 13136
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Minor
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor 2
Injury Total None 1
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1063
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Aug 16 1999 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1040
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Jan 10 2001 9:57AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N991RC
NTSB Number DEN99LA146
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 Piper
Aircraft Model PA-32-260
Aircraft Series Identifier PA-32-260
Aircraft Serial Number 7400030
Certified Max Gross Weight 3400
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 7
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Jun 22 1999 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 55
Airframe Hours 3725
ELT Installed No
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name ROBIN V. CLEARMAN
Aircraft Owner Street Address 91 HEATHROW
Aircraft Owner City SUGAR LAND
Aircraft Owner State TX
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 77479
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 Yes
Departure Airport Code ASE
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 845
Departure Time Zone MDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code SGR
Destination City SUGAR LAND
Destination State TX
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight --
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 10 2001 12:27PM
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 --