Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Gunnison, Colorado 81230
Saturday, July 28, 2001 7:50 MDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
According to the pilot, after takeoff, he climbed to 9,700 feet msl in order to cross the mountains. The airplane then encountered a "300 foot updraft, and then a 2,000 foot downdraft." He decided to "land the plane without the use of the landing gear on the side of the mountain." One of the passengers said it was the pilot's first mountain flying experience. He remembered the airplane was at 80 knots and 8,300 feet as they approached a mountain. He said the pilot pulled back on the control yoke in an attempt to gain sufficient altitude to clear the peak but the airplane was slow in responding and "we literally came straight down" and "the belly [struck the ground] pretty hard." According to rescue personnel, the accident site was at 8,510 feet. The straight line distance between the airport and the accident site was 9 nm. The difference in accident elevation and airport elevation (8,510 - 7,673) was 837 feet. The computed climb rate was 93 feet per nm. Estimated airplane weight was 2,670 pounds at takeoff (maximum certificated gross weight is 2,650 pounds). The altimeter setting was 30.49 inches of mercury, and the computed pressure altitude was 7,103 feet msl. Referring to the Cessna 172RG "Maximum Rate of Climb" chart and interpolating, it was computed that the airplane was capable of achieving a climb rate of 464 fpm (feet per minute) and, at a climb speed of 79 knots, it was capable of climbing 352.4 feet per nm.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
the pilot's failure to attain the proper climb rate, and his improper inflight planning/decision to attempt to cross mountainous terrain at an inadequate altitude. Contributing factors were the downdraft and the pilot's total lack of experience in mountain flying.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/28/2001 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 750 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Daylight Time |
| Event City | Gunnison |
| Event State | COLORADO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 81230 |
| Event Date Year | 2001 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 382958N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1064804W |
| 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 | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 855 Mountain Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 288 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | GUC |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 7673 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 9 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 8 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 14 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 6 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Variable |
| Wind Speed (knots) | -- |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Light and Variable |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.49 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 8609 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Serious |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 3 |
| Injury Total All | 3 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 11471 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA NW OPERATIONS CENTER |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jul 28 2001 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1331 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 20 2002 1:46PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Denver, Colorado |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N401TA |
| NTSB Number | DEN01LA130 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Cessna |
| Aircraft Model | 172RG |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 172RG0142 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2650 |
| 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 | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jul 19 2001 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 13 |
| Airframe Hours | 6269 |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Top Notch Aviation, Inc. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | P.O. Box 5161 |
| Aircraft Owner City | Austin |
| Aircraft Owner State | TX |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 78763 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| 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? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| 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 | -- |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | GUC |
| Departure City | Gunnison |
| Departure State | CO |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 730 |
| Departure Time Zone | MDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | AUS |
| Destination City | Austin |
| Destination State | TX |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Climb |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 28 2002 10:48AM |
| User who most recently changed record | MCBM |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | -- |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |