Na Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Steamboat Spgns, Colorado 80477
Saturday, October 22, 2005 19:27 MDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

The private pilot held an instrument rating and had logged 2 hours of night flight time within the previous 60 days. At the time of the accident, he was operating under night visual flight rules, in mountainous terrain, without a flight plan. The National Track Analysis Program (NTAP) radar data illustrated that the pilot initiated a descent from 14,000 feet msl at 1919:55. The rate of descent varied between 500 feet and 1,000 feet per minute. The last radar position recorded was at 1927:20. The airplane was at a location of 40 degrees, 21 minutes, 24 seconds north latitude, 106 degrees, 41 minutes, 49 seconds west longitude, at an encoded altitude of 10,500 feet msl. The airplane was located in a densely wooded area on the north face of a peak, at an approximate elevation of 10,500 feet msl, 580 feet west of the last radar position. Sunset was recorded at 1817 and the end of civil twilight was 1844. The moon rose at 2057 on the preceding day (October 21, 2005), and set at 1312 on the day of the accident. An examination of the airplane's systems, airframe, and engine, revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation prior to impact.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

the pilot's failure to maintain altitude/clearance from terrain. Contributing factors include the pilot's lack of recent experience, the pilot's improper in-flight planning and decision making, the dark night and the mountainous terrain.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 10/22/2005
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 1927
Event Time Zone Mountain Daylight Time
Event City Steamboat Spgns
Event State COLORADO
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 80477
Event Date Year 2005
Event Date Month 10
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude 402102N
Event Location Longitude 1064103W
Event Location Airport NA
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 1915 Mountain Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 290
Weather Observation Facility ID HDN
Elevation of weather observation facility 6602
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 25
Time Zone of the weather observation MDT
Lighting Conditions Night/Dark
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) 9
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) -2
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 190
Variable Wind Indicator Wind direction could be determined
Wind Speed (knots) 3
Wind Velocity Indicator --
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) --
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30.12
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 2
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 20328
NTSB Notification Source FAA Comm Ctr
NTSB Notification Date Oct 23 2005 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time --
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information DMS
Date of most recent change to record Oct 3 2006 2:46PM
User who most recently changed record NTSB\JOHB
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office Denver FAA Flight Standards District Office

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N101HK
NTSB Number DEN06FA010
Missing Aircraft Indicator Y
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? No
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name Lancair
Aircraft Model LC-40-550FG
Aircraft Series Identifier --
Aircraft Serial Number 40005
Certified Max Gross Weight 3400
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 4
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Jun 1 2005 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 142.2
Airframe Hours 1537.5
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name Kittyhawk Partners LLC
Aircraft Owner Street Address P.O. Box 774000 PMB 339
Aircraft Owner City Steamboat Springs
Aircraft Owner State CO
Aircraft Owner Country USA
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 80477
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) Business
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code BRL
Departure City BURLINGTON
Departure State IA
Departure Country USA
Departure Time 1521
Departure Time Zone CDT
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code SBS
Destination City Steamboat Spgns
Destination State CO
Destination Country USA
Specific Phase of Flight Descent - emergency
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jun 27 2006 3:11PM
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 --