Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Bailey, Colorado 80421
Wednesday, October 21, 1987 11:35 MDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED ON THE SIDE OF A MOUNTAIN DURING VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. THE PILOT HAD BEEN IN VOICE AND RADAR CONTACT WITH AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL UNTIL THE AIRCRAFT DISAPPEARED FROM RADAR. THE PILOT REPORTED SEVERE TURBULENCE AND A ROUGH RUNNING ENGINE TO ATC AS HE WAS NEARING A MOUNTAIN PASS. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE THOUGHT THE ROUGH RUNNING ENGINE WAS DUE TO FUEL CONTAMINATION. A WITNESS REPORTED THAT THE PILOT HAD SAID THE FUEL HAD CONTAINED ALOT OF WATER. THE PILOT REPORTED TO ATC THAT HE HAD JUST LOST THE ENGINE AND HE WAS ATTEMPTING TO MAKE IT THROUGH A SADDLE. A SIGMET HAD BEEN ISSUED FOR THAT REGION AND THE SEVERE TURBULENCE WAS CONFIRMED BY ANOTHER PILOT. ENGINE TEARDOWN REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF PREIMPACT MECHANICAL FAILURE/MALFUNCTION.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 10/21/1987
Event Day of the Week Wednesday
Time of Event 1135
Event Time Zone Mountain Daylight Time
Event City BAILEY
Event State COLORADO
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 80421
Event Date Year 1987
Event Date Month 10
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 Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1150 Mountain Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 210
Weather Observation Facility ID DEN
Elevation of weather observation facility 5333
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 38
Time Zone of the weather observation MST
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) 60
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 19
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) -9
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 210
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) 30
Density Altitude (feet) --
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) 1581
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Oct 22 1987 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1200
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 34942
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 2:54PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N4132G
NTSB Number DEN88FA014
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 CESSNA
Aircraft Model 340A
Aircraft Series Identifier 340A
Aircraft Serial Number 340A0303
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 6
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Jun 17 1987 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 95
Airframe Hours 2146
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name JAMES MUNSON HARMON
Aircraft Owner Street Address HARMON RANCH, BOX 1500
Aircraft Owner City BUENA VISTA
Aircraft Owner State CO
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 81211
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name HARMON, JAMES M.
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address BOX 1500
Operator City BUENA VISTA
Operator State CO
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 81211
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 APA
Departure City ENGLEWOOD
Departure State CO
Departure Country
Departure Time 1120
Departure Time Zone MDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code
Destination City BUENA VISTA
Destination State CO
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 --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --