Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Limon, Colorado 80828
Sunday, March 6, 1983 9:30 MST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE ACFT CRASHED IN A SNOW COVERED FIELD DURING IMC WEATHER. WITNESSES HEARD AND SAW AN ACFT FLYING LOW IN THE AREA OF THE ACCIDENT JUST BEFORE THE CRASH. THERE ARE NO KNOWN WITNESSES TO THE ACTUAL CRASH. THE ACFT WAS DISCOVERED SEVERAL HOURS LATER BY A SNOW PLOW OPERATOR PASSING ON A NEARBY ROAD. THE ACFT CRASHED IN A FLAT OPEN FIELD IN WINGS LEVEL, NOSE LOW, DESCENDING ATTITUDE ON A HEADING OF 135 DEGREES. THE WEATHER WAS INDEFINITE CEILINGS, 200 FEET, SKY OBSCURED, VISIBILITY LESS THATN ONE MILE WITH SNOW, WIND 360 DEGREES AT 17 KTS. THE PILOT WAS NOT INSTRUMENT RATED.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 3/6/1983
Event Day of the Week Sunday
Time of Event 930
Event Time Zone Mountain Standard Time
Event City LIMON
Event State COLORADO
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 80828
Event Date Year 1983
Event Date Month 3
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 750 Mountain Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 170
Weather Observation Facility ID WSMO
Elevation of weather observation facility 5365
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 20
Time Zone of the weather observation MST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 200
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 200
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) 0
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) -4
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) -7
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 360
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 17
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) 0
Intensity of Precipitation Light
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) 256
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date --
NTSB Notification Time 0
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 20416
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 9:15AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N84822
NTSB Number DEN83FA070
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 172
Aircraft Series Identifier 172
Aircraft Serial Number 17258629
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 Annual
Date of Last Inspection Jun 4 1982 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 446
Airframe Hours 4107
ELT Installed No
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name MR & MRS PHYLLIS M. GILLESPIE
Aircraft Owner Street Address P.O. BOX 443
Aircraft Owner City SPRINGERVILLE
Aircraft Owner State AZ
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 85938
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 PUB
Departure City PUEBLO
Departure State CO
Departure Country
Departure Time 0
Departure Time Zone
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code STK
Destination City STERLING
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 10:36AM
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 --