Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Two Buttes, Colorado 81084
Saturday, January 31, 1987 20:49 MST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE PLT AND HIS WIFE WERE EN ROUTE FROM PALM SPRINGS, CA, TO OLATHE, KS, AND HAD STOPPED FOR FUEL AT FARMINGTON, NM. AFTER DEPARTURE, THE ACFT WAS EVENTUALLY CLEARED TO FL 210. AT 1934 THE PLT GAVE DENVER ARTCC THE FOLLOWING PIREP: 'THERE'S BEEN SOME SNOW BUT I'VE BEEN MOSTLY IN AND OUT OF THE TOPS. LOOKS LIKE I GOT CLEAR SKIES ABOVE ME MOST OF THE TIME...AND IT IS MODERATELY ROUGH FROM TIME TO TIME.' AT 2045 KANSAS CITY ARTCC ADVISED THE PLT HE WAS AT FL 213. THE PLT ACKNOWLEDGED HE HAD DRIFTED OFF ALT AND WAS CORRECTING AND WAS HEADING 060 DEG. AT 2047 THE CONTROLLER ADVISED THE PLT HE WAS AT FL 203. THE PLT REPLIED, 'WE'VE HAD A GYRO FAILURE.' AT 2049 RADAR CONTACT WAS LOST. THE ACFT IMPACTED AN OPEN FIELD IN A NEAR VERTICAL ATTITUDE. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF AIRFRAME, ENG, PROP, OR FLT CONTROL FAILURE. ONLY ONE VACUUM PUMP WAS RECOVERED. THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND AUTOPLT SYSTEM WERE DESTROYED.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 1/31/1987
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 2049
Event Time Zone Mountain Standard Time
Event City TWO BUTTES
Event State COLORADO
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 81084
Event Date Year 1987
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 Partial - limited by pilot
Investigator's weather source Witness
Time of the weather observation 1955 Mountain Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 293
Weather Observation Facility ID LHK
Elevation of weather observation facility 4238
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 62
Time Zone of the weather observation MST
Lighting Conditions Night/Dark
Lowest Ceiling Height 10000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 15
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 6
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 1
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 300
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 7
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) 4200
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) 598
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Feb 1 1987 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 715
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 33750
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 1:36PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N6320X
NTSB Number DEN87FA048
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
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 340A
Aircraft Series Identifier 340A
Aircraft Serial Number 340A0491
Certified Max Gross Weight 5990
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 8
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Dec 11 1986 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours 1426
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name WAYNE A. BOWER
Aircraft Owner Street Address 4400 BROADWAY, SUITE
Aircraft Owner City KANSAS CITY
Aircraft Owner State KS
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 64111
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 FMN
Departure City FARMINGTON
Departure State NM
Departure Country
Departure Time 1903
Departure Time Zone MST
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code OJC
Destination City OLATHE
Destination State KS
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Descent
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 --