Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
N/A Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Idaho Springs, Colorado 80444
Wednesday, October 13, 2004 7:38 MDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
At 0500 the pilot called FAA's Denver Automated Flight Service Station (AFSS). He asked the briefer for any reports of cloud tops in the Denver area. The briefer said that the forecast called "for the tops layered to twenty four thousand" feet. The briefer said the weather was improving in the Denver area, but weather conditions in the Aspen area were not expected to improve until later in the day. The pilot did not obtain a full weather briefing and declined a briefing on adverse weather conditions. At 0630, the pilot told a business associate his situation. He called the associate again at 0659 and told him that he was going to fly north to go around the weather. The airplane was reported missing when it failed to arrive in at its destination. The next afternoon, a surveyor came upon the wreckage. The wreckage was located in rising, wooded terrain. A witness, who resided approximately 1 mile uphill from the accident site, said he heard an airplane fly overhead at the approximate time of the accident. The witness said he heard the engine power "cut back" and then "power up" again. He said it sounded as if the airplane was 200 to 300 feet above the ground, flying in a southeasterly direction. He was unable to see the airplane due to poor visibility, low clouds, and fog. Weather 3 nautical miles southwest of the accident site, was as follows: "Wind, 360 degrees at 8 knots; visibility, less than 1/4 statute mile, light snow; sky condition, overcast 200 feet agl; temperature, minus 5 degrees C.; dew point, minus 6 degrees C. An examination of the airplane revealed no anomalies.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
the pilot's failure to maintain clearance from terrain, and his inadequate planning and decision making resulting in VFR flight into IMC. Contributing factors include the pilot's self-induced pressure to arrive at his destination, the low ceiling and the fog.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 10/13/2004 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 738 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Daylight Time |
| Event City | Idaho Springs |
| Event State | COLORADO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 80444 |
| Event Date Year | 2004 |
| Event Date Month | 10 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 394605N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1053217W |
| Event Location Airport | N/A |
| 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 | Partial - limited by pilot |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 736 Mountain Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 250 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | CCU |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 12074 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 33 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Dawn |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 200 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | -- |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 0.25 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | -5 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -6 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 360 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 8 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.33 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 8548 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Light |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| 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) | 17702 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Comm Ctr |
| NTSB Notification Date | Oct 14 2004 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1400 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 8 2005 12:51PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\JOHB |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Denver FAA Flight Standards District Office |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N9437H |
| NTSB Number | DEN05FA011 |
| 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 | Ground |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Cessna |
| Aircraft Model | 182R |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 18267948 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2900 |
| 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 | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Aug 27 2004 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 18 |
| Airframe Hours | 1914 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Cambridge Aviation, Inc. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 5038 E. Nichols Place |
| Aircraft Owner City | Littleton |
| Aircraft Owner State | CO |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 80122 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Aspen Flying Club |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 13000 E. Control Tower Rd., Box K16 |
| Operator City | Englewood |
| Operator State | CO |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 80112 |
| 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 | APA |
| Departure City | Englewood |
| Departure State | CO |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 717 |
| Departure Time Zone | MDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | ASE |
| Destination City | ASPEN |
| Destination State | CO |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | -- |
| User who most recently changed record | -- |
| 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 | -- |