Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Telluride, Colorado 81435
Friday, September 15, 2006 10:33 MDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The airplane was on the final leg of a cross-country flight to Telluride, Colorado. Denver Center picked up the airplane on radar approximately 38 miles northwest of Taos, New Mexico, heading toward Pagosa Springs, Colorado, at 15,800 feet. Just southeast of Pagosa Springs, the airplane turned toward the southwest. Approximately 5 minutes later, the airplane resumed a west-northwesterly course toward the Telluride area. Approximately 25 miles south of the Telluride Regional Airport, the airplane made a turn to the north. The airplane had descended to 15,000 feet. One minute later, radar showed the airplane in a 600 foot-per-minute descent that eventually took the airplane below 14,000 feet. Approximately 12 miles south of the airport, the airplane turned to the west-northwest. The airplane was at 13,900 feet on a course toward Wilson Peak and the Lizard Head Pass area. Approximately 3 miles southeast of Wilson Peak (elevation 14,246 feet), radar showed the airplane enter a 2,000 foot-per-minute descent. The airplane's groundspeed increased from 149 to 260 knots. The airplane leveled off momentarily at 13,400 feet and then entered a 2,000 foot-per-minute climb. The airplane's groundspeed was 191 knots. Approximately 12 seconds later, radar contact with the airplane was lost. At last contact, the airplane was at 13,500 feet and within 1 mile of the southeast face of Wilson Peak. Rescue teams located the airplane near the summit of Wilson Peak the following day. Airplane wreckage was located on all sides of the mountain. An examination of the wreckage at the scene showed no pre-impact anomalies. A meteorological study of weather conditions around Wilson Peak at the time of the accident indicated the potential for severe turbulence and rotors.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's inadvertent flight into mountain wave turbulence resulting in the airplane's loss of control and subsequent impact into mountainous terrain. Factors contributing to the accident were the mountain wave turbulence and high winds.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/15/2006 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1033 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Daylight Time |
| Event City | Telluride |
| Event State | COLORADO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 81435 |
| Event Date Year | 2006 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 375134N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1075900W |
| 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 | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1030 Mountain Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 45 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | TEX |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 9078 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 9 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 4900 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | -- |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 10 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 5 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | -- |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| 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 | 4 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 4 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 22173 |
| NTSB Notification Source | Colorado Civil Air Patrol |
| NTSB Notification Date | Sep 16 2000 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 27 2007 11:30AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\johb |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Salt Lake City, UT FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N5893J |
| NTSB Number | DEN06FA132 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | Y |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Beech |
| Aircraft Model | 35-C33 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | CD-921 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3050 |
| 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 | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jun 1 2006 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 2631.3 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | John S. Thompson |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 7124 Briarmeadow Drive |
| Aircraft Owner City | Dallas |
| Aircraft Owner State | TX |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 75230 |
| 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 | SKX |
| Departure City | Taos |
| Departure State | NM |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 902 |
| Departure Time Zone | MDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | TEX |
| Destination City | Telluride |
| Destination State | CO |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 7 2007 9:59AM |
| User who most recently changed record | BOWL |
| 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 | -- |