Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Leadville, Colorado 80461
Wednesday, January 17, 1990 7:19 MST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

PM AIR FLT 824, A FEDERAL EXPRESS SCHEDULED DOMESTIC CARGO FLT, DEPARTED DENVER, CO, AT 0642, IFR TO MONTROSE, CO. FLT WAS CLEARED TO FL 180, BUT PLT CANCELLED IFR AT 0653. RADAR SHOWED ACFT LEVELED OFF AT 14,500 FT ON SW HEADING. ACFT MAINTAINED RELATIVE CONSTANT ALT AND HEADING BEFORE CRASHING 50 FT BELOW SUMMIT OF 14,221-FT MT MASSIVE, SECOND TALLEST PEAK IN CO, AT APRX 0719. WX WAS CAVU. TOXICOLOGICAL TESTS REVEALED MARIJUANA METABOLITE LEVEL OF 37 NG/ML IN URINE AND 1 NG/ML IN BLOOD. PLT WAS ONCE CONVICTED IN 1974 FOR POSSESSION OF CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE, BUT HAD NO OTHER ALCOHOL/DRUG CONVICTIONS. EVIDENCE INDICATES PLT OBTAINED ADEQUATE SLEEP PRIOR TO FLT. DURING AUTOPSY, TWO PAGES FROM AIRMEN'S INFORMATION MANUAL WERE FOUND CLUTCHED IN PLT'S HANDS.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

DIVERSION OF THE PILOT'S ATTENTION, RESULTING IN AN IN FLIGHT COLLISION WITH TERRAIN DURING NORMAL CRUISE FLIGHT.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 1/17/1990
Event Day of the Week Wednesday
Time of Event 719
Event Time Zone Mountain Standard Time
Event City LEADVILLE
Event State COLORADO
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 80461
Event Date Year 1990
Event Date Month 1
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 0
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 750 Mountain Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 260
Weather Observation Facility ID ASE
Elevation of weather observation facility 7793
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 18
Time Zone of the weather observation MST
Lighting Conditions Dawn
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 5000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 30
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) -9
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) -18
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 210
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 6
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) 6628
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 1
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 166
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jan 17 1990 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1105
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 40891
Date of most recent change to record Dec 12 2000 4:43PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N835FE
NTSB Number DEN90FA043
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name CESSNA
Aircraft Model 208A
Aircraft Series Identifier 208A
Aircraft Serial Number 20800091
Certified Max Gross Weight 8000
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 2
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Continuous Airworthiness
Date of Last Inspection Nov 25 1989 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 78
Airframe Hours 2368
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Yes
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name FEDERAL EXPRESS CORPORATION
Aircraft Owner Street Address 3101 TCHULAHOMA QA 5433
Aircraft Owner City MEMPHIS
Aircraft Owner State TN
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 38118
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name P.M. AIR, INC.
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 2635 E. AIRLANE
Operator City PHOENIX
Operator State AZ
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 85034
Operator Code EKDA
Owner has at least one certificate Yes - certificate holder
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 Non-scheduled
Indicates Domestic or International Flight Domestic
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail Cargo
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Unknown
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code DEN
Departure City DENVER
Departure State CO
Departure Country
Departure Time 644
Departure Time Zone MST
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code MTJ
Destination City MONTROSE
Destination State CO
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 0
Runway Width 0
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --