Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
La Plata County Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Durango, Colorado 81301
Tuesady, February 2, 1988 20:32 MST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
AFTER MAKING AN IFR APPROACH, THE PILOT MADE A GO-AROUND BECAUSE HE WAS BLINDED BY THE REFLECTION OF THE LANDING/TAXI LIGHTS AGAINST THE FALLING SNOW. THE PILOT LANDED THE AIRCRAFT AFTER THE SECOND APPROACH. THE PILOT SAID HE SENSED THE AIRCRAFT DRIFTING TO THE LEFT AND HE TRIED TO CORRECT, BUT IT COLLIDED WITH A SNOW BANK. THE INVESTIGATION DISCLOSED NO EVIDENCE OF AIRCRAFT HYDROPLANING OR SKIDDING. AIRPORT MANAGEMENT ELECTED TO DELAY PLOWING THE RUNWAY FOR FEAR OF IT FREEZING OVER. PASSENGERS CLAIMED THERE WAS 2-3 INCHES OF SNOW ON TOP OF A 3/4- INCH LAYER OF SLUSH. FURTHER INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE RUNWAY LIGHTS WERE OF VARIOUS INTENSITIES BECAUSE SOME UNAPPROVED LIGHT BULBS OF DIFFERENT AMPERAGE WERE USED. THE RUNWAY WAS NOT EQUIPPED WITH CENTERLINE LIGHTING. THE PAINTED WHITE CENTERLINE STRIPE WAS COVERED BY SNOW AND SLUSH.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 2/2/1988 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 2032 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Standard Time |
| Event City | DURANGO |
| Event State | COLORADO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 81301 |
| Event Date Year | 1988 |
| Event Date Month | 2 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | -- |
| Event Location Longitude | -- |
| Event Location Airport | LA PLATA COUNTY |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | DRO |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 0 |
| Airport Elevation | 6685 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 2037 Mountain Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | DRO |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 6685 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MST |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 500 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Obscured |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 5 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 1 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 0 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 6567 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Light |
| 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 | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 196 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Feb 2 1988 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 2130 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 35814 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 26 2001 8:06AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N5808 |
| NTSB Number | DEN88FA061 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 121: Air Carrier |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | CONVAIR |
| Aircraft Model | 580 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 580 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 348 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 54600 |
| 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 | 53 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Continuous Airworthiness |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jan 23 1988 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 66 |
| Airframe Hours | 53781 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | ASPEN AIRWAYS, INC. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | HANGAR 5, STAPLETON INT'L ARPT |
| Aircraft Owner City | DENVER |
| Aircraft Owner State | CO |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 80207 |
| 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 | ASPA |
| 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 | Scheduled |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | Domestic |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | Passenger Only |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Unknown |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | DEN |
| Departure City | DENVER |
| Departure State | CO |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1855 |
| Departure Time Zone | MST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | DRO |
| Destination City | DURANGO |
| Destination State | CO |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Landing |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 20 2002 12:42PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 2 |
| Runway Length | 9200 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |