Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
N/A Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Steamboat Springs, Colorado 80487
Saturday, August 9, 2014 11:00 MDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
On August 9, 2014, about 1100 mountain daylight time, a Piper PA 28R-201 airplane, N3509M, impacted mountainous terrain near Steamboat Springs, Colorado. The pilot and passenger were fatally injured. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The airplane was registered to VSP Aviators LLC and operated by Journeys Aviation Flying Club under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as an instructional flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident and no flight plan was filed. The cross country flight originated from the Steamboat Springs Airport (KSBS), Steamboat Spring, Colorado, about 1045 and was enroute to the Boulder Municipal Airport (KBDU), Boulder, Colorado.
The airplane struck several trees in a mountain pass about 9,100 feet mean sea level (MSL) on a heading of 240 degrees. The wings separated from the fuselage during the impact sequence. The fuselage came to rest on its right side on a heading of 350 degrees.
At 1054, the automated weather report from KSBS, which was 12 miles northwest of the accident site, reported the weather: wind calm, visibility 10 miles, sky clear, temperature 66 degrees Fahrenheit (F), dew point 45 degrees F, and altimeter setting 30.33 inches of mercury.
The wreckage has been retained for further examination.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/9/2014 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1100 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Daylight Time |
| Event City | Steamboat Springs |
| Event State | COLORADO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 80487 |
| Event Date Year | 2014 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 402028N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1064246W |
| 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 | 1114 Mountain Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 327 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KSBS |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 6878 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 12 |
| 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) | 19 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 7 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | -- |
| Wind Speed (knots) | -- |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| Wind Gust Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.33 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | METAR KSBS 091714Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 19/07 A30 |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| 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) | -- |
| 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 | Aug 15 2014 3:52PM |
| User who most recently changed record | linj-i |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N3509M |
| NTSB Number | CEN14FA414 |
| 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 | -- |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA 28R-201 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 201 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 28R-7837119 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2749 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | 4 |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | -- |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | -- |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | VSP AVIATORS LLC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | BROOMFIELD |
| Aircraft Owner State | CO |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 800201323 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Journeys Aviation Flying Club |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | BROOMFIELD |
| Operator State | CO |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 800201323 |
| 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) | Instructional |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | SBS |
| Departure City | STEAMBOAT SPRINGS |
| Departure State | CO |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1045 |
| Departure Time Zone | MDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | BDU |
| Destination City | BOULDER |
| Destination State | CO |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 15 2014 3:56PM |
| User who most recently changed record | linj-i |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |