N/A Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Telluride, Colorado 81435
Thursday, June 9, 2005 9:30 MDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

According to radar data, the airplane was climbing at an approximate rate of 500 feet per minute (fpm). This rate decreased to 350 fpm, 240 fpm, and approximately 140 fpm over a 24-minute period, prior to impact. Several witnesses fishing in the area heard an airplane fly over head. Shortly thereafter, they heard a loud explosion near the mountain peak and observed a rockslide, dust, and plume of smoke. The sheriff's office was notified and further investigation revealed the wreckage of a light twin-engine airplane. The initial impact point was located approximately 12,800 feet msl, and the main wreckage came to rest at 12,500 feet msl. According to the company, a direct flight is preferred if weather allows. The two instrument flight rules routes proposed in the company manual have minimum en route altitudes (MEA) of 13,000 feet and 15,000 feet. A direct route travels over mountainous terrain with mountain peaks as high as 14,100 feet msl. Air Route Traffic Control Center reported the MEA for such a direct flight as 15,300 msl. According to family members, friends, and colleagues, the pilot was "tired" and displayed symptoms of "burnout." One colleague reported that during an extended flight, the pilot had fallen asleep while acting as pilot in command. Several other passengers that had flown with the pilot reported that he had fallen asleep during their flights. Friends and family members reported that the pilot was "sick of flying" and they were concerned about his "lack of time to sleep." They reported that the pilot had been awakened "in the middle of the night to come back to work" on several occasions. On the morning of the accident, the pilot made several requests for someone to accompany him during his flight because he was tired.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

the pilot's failure to maintain clearance from terrain. Contributing to the accident were the high, rising terrain and fatigue.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 6/9/2005
Event Day of the Week Thursday
Time of Event 930
Event Time Zone Mountain Daylight Time
Event City Telluride
Event State COLORADO
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 81435
Event Date Year 2005
Event Date Month 6
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude 375140N
Event Location Longitude 1080211W
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 --
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 928 Mountain Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 35
Weather Observation Facility ID TEX
Elevation of weather observation facility 9078
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 11
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) 11
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) -3
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 270
Variable Wind Indicator Wind direction could be determined
Wind Speed (knots) 9
Wind Velocity Indicator --
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) --
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30.08
Density Altitude (feet) --
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 1
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 19964
NTSB Notification Source FAA Comm Ctr
NTSB Notification Date Jun 9 2005 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time --
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information DMS
Date of most recent change to record Jul 31 2006 10:47AM
User who most recently changed record NTSB\JOHB
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office SLC Flight Standards District Office

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N81659
NTSB Number DEN05FA087
Missing Aircraft Indicator Y
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? No
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire Ground
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name Piper
Aircraft Model PA-34-200T
Aircraft Series Identifier --
Aircraft Serial Number 34-8070143
Certified Max Gross Weight 4570
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class --
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 2
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection 100 Hour
Date of Last Inspection Jun 1 2005 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours 6109.5
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Yes
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name American Aviation Inc.
Aircraft Owner Street Address 337 N 2370 W Street 231
Aircraft Owner City Salt Lake City
Aircraft Owner State UT
Aircraft Owner Country USA
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 84116
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 Non-scheduled
Indicates Domestic or International Flight Domestic
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail Cargo
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) --
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code GJT
Departure City Grand Junction
Departure State CO
Departure Country USA
Departure Time 855
Departure Time Zone MDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code 00C
Destination City Durango
Destination State CO
Destination Country USA
Specific Phase of Flight Cruise
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Apr 12 2006 2:35PM
User who most recently changed record BOWL
Since inspection or accident Time of Accident
Event Location Runway Number and Location NA
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --