Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Silverton, Colorado 81433
Saturday, December 3, 2011 13:35 MST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The non-instrument-rated pilot departed for his destination with active weather advisories for his route of flight for instrument flight rules (IFR) conditions and mountain obscuration due to clouds, precipitation, and mist. After departure, the pilot attempted to remain in visual flight rules (VFR) flight by climbing above 18,000 feet mean sea level and proceeding toward his destination. When queried by an air traffic controller, the pilot stated that he could not descend due to weather. In addition, he stated that he was not instrument rated or qualified. No further transmissions were made by the pilot. Witnesses near the accident site reported low clouds with light snow flurries. On-site wreckage distribution was consistent with an in-flight breakup. Further, an examination of the wreckage revealed signatures on the airplane’s right wing consistent with it failing in overload in the upward direction and signatures on the empennage and tail section consistent with their failure in overload in the downward direction, indicating the failures were due to loads that exceeded the airplane’s structural limits. A weather study revealed the potential for clouds at the pilot’s cruising altitude, which increased the potential for VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions (IMC). Therefore, it is likely that the pilot encountered IMC, became spatially disoriented, and then maneuvered the airplane in a manner that exceeded the airplane’s structural limits while trying to return to level flight and avoid mountainous terrain.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The non-instrument-rated pilot’s decision to embark on a flight through forecasted instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), and his subsequent flight into IMC, which resulted in the pilot’s spatial disorientation and subsequent maneuvering of the airplane in a manner that exceeded the airplane’s structural limits.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 12/3/2011 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1335 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Standard Time |
| Event City | Silverton |
| Event State | COLORADO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 81433 |
| Event Date Year | 2011 |
| Event Date Month | 12 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 374937N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1074030W |
| 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 | Witness |
| Time of the weather observation | |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | -- |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | -- |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | -- |
| Lighting Conditions | -- |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Partial Obscuration |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | -- |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | -- |
| Wind Speed (knots) | -- |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| 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) | 31127 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 11 2013 9:49AM |
| User who most recently changed record | aguj |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N25153 |
| NTSB Number | CEN12FA098 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | SOCATA |
| Aircraft Model | TB21 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 968 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3086 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | 2 |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | 2 |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Unknown |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 2120 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | C91-A |
| Aircraft Owner Name | OSBORNE STEPHEN W |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | DURANGO |
| Aircraft Owner State | CO |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 81301-5743 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | OSBORNE STEPHEN W |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | DURANGO |
| Operator State | CO |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 81301-5743 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| 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 | 00C |
| Departure City | Durango |
| Departure State | CO |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1319 |
| Departure Time Zone | MST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | ASE |
| Destination City | Aspen |
| Destination State | CO |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 31 2012 2:04PM |
| User who most recently changed record | aguj |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |