Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Steamboat Springs/Bob Adams Fi Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Steamboat Sprng, Colorado 80487
Saturday, July 19, 2003 11:00 MDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
According to one witness, an airplane, matching the description of the accident airplane, departed an airport near Fort Collins, Colorado, at approximately 0900. A second witness reported that an airplane, matching that same description, landed at an airport near Steamboat Springs, Colorado. According to the second witness, the airplane was on the ground for a short time. During this time, the second witness assisted the pilot in servicing one of the airplane's main landing gear tires with air while one of the passengers took a bathroom break. The pilot did not purchase any fuel for the aircraft. The airplane departed at approximately 1045. According to the local Sheriff's office, at 1116, they received a report of vertically rising black smoke near Rabbit Ears Pass. At approximately 1330, a crew in a firefighting helicopter dispatched to the scene to contain the fire, reported that there was aircraft wreckage in the fire. At approximately 1630, a search and rescue team reported an unknown number of fatalities. Due to the post impact fire, the immediate identification of the aircraft and its occupants was not possible. A serial number, obtained from the airplane's engine, was later used to identify the wreckage. The accident site was located in mountainous terrain at an elevation of approximately 9,500 feet msl. The on-site investigation revealed several damaged trees along a 200-foot debris path preceding the accident site near the crest of a heavily forested mountain valley. No preimpact airframe or engine anomalies were identified. The calculated density altitude, at an airport approximately 27 nautical miles west of the accident site, was 9,152 feet msl.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's failure to maintain terrain clearance. Contributing factors include the pilot's inadequate preflight planning/preparation, high density altitude, and mountainous conditions.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/19/2003 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1100 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Daylight Time |
| Event City | Steamboat Sprng |
| Event State | COLORADO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 80487 |
| Event Date Year | 2003 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 402007N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1064117W |
| Event Location Airport | Steamboat Springs/Bob Adams Fi |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | SBS |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 17 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 320 |
| Airport Elevation | 6878 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1115 Mountain Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 285 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KHDN |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 6602 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 27 |
| 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) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 27 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 28 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 60 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.38 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 9152 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | 3 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 3 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 15463 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA COMM CTR |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jul 19 2003 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1517 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 3 2004 1:28PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Denver FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N742BM |
| NTSB Number | DEN03FA133 |
| 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 | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Grumman American |
| Aircraft Model | AA-5B |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | AA-5B-0202 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2400 |
| 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 | Jul 12 2002 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 4159.7 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Walton G. Chun |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | On File |
| Aircraft Owner City | Santa Clara |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 95050 |
| 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 | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | SBS |
| Departure City | STEAMBOAT SPRIN |
| Departure State | CO |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1043 |
| Departure Time Zone | MDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | -- |
| Destination City | Unknown |
| Destination State | -- |
| Destination Country | -- |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Maneuvering |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 6 2004 1:02PM |
| User who most recently changed record | MCBM |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | NA |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |