Colorado Aviation Accidents & Incidents

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On November 17, 1996, at 1505 mountain standard time, a Piper Aerostar 601P, N251B, was destroyed when it collided with terrain while maneuvering near Eagle, Colorado. The private, non-instrument rated pilot and four passengers were fatally injured. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan had been filed for the personal flight conducted under Title 14 CFR (Code of Federal Regulations) Part 91. The flight originated from Eagle, Colorado, at 1455.

According to the Denver Automated Flight Service Station (AFSS), a man who identified himself as the pilot of N251B telephoned the facility at 1418 and filed an IFR flight plan. He indicated the airplane was "/R" [RNAV (area navigation) and transponder equipped, with altitude encoding capability]. True airspeed was given as 220 knots, and he proposed to depart at 2145Z (1445 mst). Initial cruising altitude was to be 17,000 feet. The route of flight from EGE (Eagle, Colorado), direct RLG (Kremmling, Colorado), direct BJC (Jefferson County Airport, Broomfield, Colorado), direct SNY (Sidney, Nebraska), direct ONL (O'Neill, Nebraska), direct FSD (Sioux Falls, South Dakota), direct FCM (Flying Cloud Airport, Minneapolis, Minnesota). The pilot estimated his time en route would be 3 hours, 15 minutes, and listed 5 hours of fuel on board. [According to Vail/Beaver Creek Jet Center, Inc., the airplane was serviced with 146.7 gallons of 100/130 octane aviation grade fuel on November 17. This filled all tanks to capacity. According to the Piper Aerostar 601P PILOT'S OPERATING HANDBOOK, total fuel capacity is 173.5 gallons, of which 165.5 gallons are useable.] The pilot did not request, nor was he given, a weather briefing. Denver AFSS said they had no record of the pilot receiving a weather briefing prior to or after this contact.

The captain and first officer of a corporate jet, who had planned to depart Eagle, off-loaded their passengers because weather conditions were below Part 135 takeoff minimums. They saw the pilot of N251B preparing to depart, and they engaged in a conversation with him. He told the captain he was "confident he was going to be okay because he had his hand held GPS (Global Positioning System) and was from that area and he could tell where he was by feel." The first officer said he tried to discourage the pilot from departing, "but he was committed." As they were returning to their hotel, the corporate jet crew observed the Aerostar fly overhead. The captain said the airplane seemed to be over Interstate Highway 70, westbound, in a right turn and climbing over the mountains. The first officer said the airplane was "apparently attempting to return to the airport."

According to the transcript of radio communications, the pilot was cleared to taxi to runway 07 at 1446. At 1448, the pilot was issued his IFR clearance "to the Kremmling Vortac (Very High Frequency Omnidirectional Radio Range-Tactical A