Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Dillon, Colorado 80435
Saturday, June 2, 1990 20:15 MDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE PLT DEPD FM ALASKA SVRL DAYS BEFORE THE ACDNT & WAS EN ROUTE TO CANTON, OHIO. ON THE DAY OF THE ACDNT, HE TOOK OFF FROM MOAB, UTAH & WAS FLWG INTERSTATE 70 (A MAJOR HWY). THERE WERE WITNESSES NR THE EISENHOWER TUNNEL (EVEL 11,145 FT) AT THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE IN COLORADO. THEY SAW AN ACFT THAT MATCHED THE DESCRIPTION OF N3944V. THEY RPRTD THE ACFT WAS EASTBOUND AT LOW ALT AS IT PASSED THE WEST ENTRANCE, THEN IT BEGAN CLIMBING. BEFORE REACHING THE DIVIDE, THE ACFT TURNEDABRUPTLY NORTH & WAS LAST SEEN FLYING UP A VALLEY. SUBSEQUENTLY, IT CRASHED ON A SNOW FIELD IN A BOWL AREA, SURROUNDED ON THE WEST, NORTH & EAST BY PEAKS & RIDGES. TERRAIN AROUND THE ACDNT SITE ROSE UPWARD TO 13,000 FT. THERE WAS EVIDENCE THE ACFT HAD IMPACTED IN A STEEP NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE. DURING IMPACT, THE LEADING EDGES OF THE WINGS WERE CRUSHED & THE EMPENNAGE HAD BROKEN ABOUT 4 FT AFT OF THE WINGS & HAD FOLDED AFT & RIGHT. THERE WAS EVIDENCE THE PLT HAD SURVIVED THE IMPACT, BUT DIED FROM COMPLICATIONS OF HYPOTHERMIA. HIS STUDENT PLT/MED CERT HAD BEEN ISSUED ON 4/24/86.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

IMPROPER PLANNING/DECISION BY THE PILOT, AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN AIRSPEED, WHICH RESULTED IN AN INADVERTENT STALL. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE AND TERRAIN CONDITIONS.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 6/2/1990
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 2015
Event Time Zone Mountain Daylight Time
Event City DILLON
Event State COLORADO
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 80435
Event Date Year 1990
Event Date Month 6
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 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 Clear
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
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) 4
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 200
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 20
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) --
Density Altitude (feet) 3521
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) 1520
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jun 3 1990 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1200
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 42825
Date of most recent change to record Feb 26 2001 8:06AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N3944V
NTSB Number DEN90FA120
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name CESSNA
Aircraft Model 170A
Aircraft Series Identifier 170A
Aircraft Serial Number 18263
Certified Max Gross Weight 2200
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 Unknown
Date of Last Inspection --
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name CHARLES L. GUEDEL
Aircraft Owner Street Address 2621 SOLOMAN
Aircraft Owner City ANCHORAGE
Aircraft Owner State AK
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 99507
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 CNY
Departure City MOAB
Departure State UT
Departure Country
Departure Time 1800
Departure Time Zone MDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Descent
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Feb 26 2001 8:06AM
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 --