Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Laporte, Colorado 80535
Monday, April 22, 1985 8:00 MST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE PLT WAS A BUSINESS MAN, INVOLVED IN BUILDING/CONSTRUCTION WORK. ON THE MORNING OF THE ACDNT, HE HAD BREAKFAST WITH FRIENDS WHO SAID HE WAS IN GOOD SPIRITS & WAS GOING TO FLY BEFORE GOING TO WORK. WITNESSES NEAR THE ACDNT SITE SAW THE ACFT FLYING IN THE AREA. THEY THOUGHT THE PLT MAY HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR A ROCK QUARRY THEY HAD FOR FOR SALE OR WAS INTERESTED IN A NEARBY SITE FOR A RECENTLY PROPOSED RESERVOIR. A UNICOM OPERATOR RECEIVED A DISTRESS CALL FROM THE PLT STATING HE HAD A 'STUCK ELEVATOR' & WAS GOING TO MAKE AN EMERG LNDG. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH A ROCK WALL, APRX 100' BELOW A RIDGE LINE & 800' ABOVE A NEARBY VALLEY FLOOR. THERE WAS EVIDENCE THE ACFT HAD IMPACTED IN A NOSE-LEVEL, SLIGHTLY R WING LOW ATTITUDE WHILE AT HI SPEED. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS FND; HOWEVER, THE ACFT WAS COMPLETELY DESTOYED BY IMPACT. A SUBSEQUENT CORONER'S INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE PLT HAD FINANCIAL PROBLEMS& LISTED HIS DEATH AS SUICIDE; HOWEVER, THE PLT HAD MADE NO KNOWN DECLARATION OF INTENT TO PERFORM SUCH AN ACT.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 4/22/1985
Event Day of the Week Monday
Time of Event 800
Event Time Zone Mountain Standard Time
Event City LAPORTE
Event State COLORADO
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 80535
Event Date Year 1985
Event Date Month 4
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 10
Degrees magnetic from airport 305
Airport Elevation 0
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 747 Mountain Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 138
Weather Observation Facility ID FCL
Elevation of weather observation facility 5016
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 13
Time Zone of the weather observation MST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 4000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 4000
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) 2
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 360
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) 5936
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) 1970
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Apr 22 1985 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 830
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 29367
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 9:15AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N6208W
NTSB Number DEN85FA120
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 Ground
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name CESSNA
Aircraft Model P210N
Aircraft Series Identifier P210N
Aircraft Serial Number P21000731
Certified Max Gross Weight 4000
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 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection 100 Hour
Date of Last Inspection Aug 30 1984 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 57
Airframe Hours 305
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Yes
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name BETZING MANAGEMENT CO., INC.
Aircraft Owner Street Address 1801 AIRWAY AVENUE
Aircraft Owner City FORT COLLINS
Aircraft Owner State CO
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 80522
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 3V5
Departure City FORT COLLINS
Departure State CO
Departure Country
Departure Time 715
Departure Time Zone MST
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Maneuvering
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:36AM
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 --