Colorado Aviation Accidents & Incidents

HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn February 16, 2014, at 1126 mountain standard time, a Beech 35-33, N400DJ, impacted mountainous terrain, ½ mile west of the Telluride Regional Airport (KTEX), Telluride, Colorado. The female airline transport certificated pilot, the flight instructor, and one airline transport pilot-rated passenger were fatally injured. The airplane was substantially damaged and a postimpact fire ensued. The airplane was registered to and operated by Arizona Cloudbusters Flying Club, Gilbert, Arizona, under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a training flight. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which operated on an instrument flight rules flight plan. The flight was originating at the time of the accident and was en route to Cortez Municipal Airport (KCEZ), Cortez, Colorado.

The time sources for the text messages, airport UNICOM, airport camera, and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) radar were different. The times provided in this report are as provided from each source and were not corrected or adjusted for any variation or discrepancy. For the purposes of this report, the FAA time stamp was used to determine the time of the accident.

According to the president of the Arizona Cloudbusters Flying Club, this was an instructional flight for the female airline transport pilot (ATP), to complete her airplane checkout as a new member of the flying club. Most likely the airplane departed Stellar Airpark (P19), Chandler, Arizona, full of fuel, and flew directly to KTEX. Their intention was to continue to KCEZ, refuel, and then return to P19.

A family member of the flight instructor received a text message from him at 1040 stating that they had landed in Telluride. At 1120, the flight instructor sent another text message indicating that they would be taking off in 5 minutes.

According to airport employees, the three pilots came in to the fixed base operator, took refreshments, and purchased t-shirts. They did not take any services. At 1108, one of the pilots called on the UNICOM frequency and reported that they were taxing from the ramp for departure. At 1118, they called and reported that they were taking the runway for departure. A camera positioned on the firehouse at the airport recorded the accident airplane departing runway 27 and passing the alpha 3 intersection at 1120:26. No other communications were heard on the UNICOM.

At 1120:38, the Denver Automated Flight Service Station (AFSS) contacted the Denver Center Sector 12 controller and requested a clearance for N400DJ. The Denver AFSS was communicating with the female ATP over Denver Radio when the clearance was requested. The Denver Center Sector 12 controller provided the clearance via the Denver AFSS. The flight was cleared from KTEX to KCEZ via the instrument flight rules (IFR) departure procedure to Cones, direct Dove Creek, and then direct KCEZ, at an altitude of 14,000 feet. The flight was instructed to contact Denver Cent