Colorado Aviation Accidents & Incidents

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On April 23, 1997, a Socata TB-20, N20NK, was reported missing by the pilot's family when the aircraft failed to arrive at Centennial Airport, Englewood, Colorado, on a flight from Sedona, Arizona. The aircraft was found on April 28, 1997, at 1130 mountain daylight time (all times are mountain daylight time unless otherwise noted), on the side of a mountain at N37:03.43, W106:38.27. Terrain elevation was 11,100 feet msl (above mean sea level). The location is approximately 25 miles southeast of Pagosa Springs, Colorado. At the time the aircraft was located, snow depth in the area was 5 to 7 feet.

Access to the accident site was not feasible due to snow depth and avalanche danger until August 5, 1997. The wreckage was on the side of a 50 degree slope mountain on the Banded Peaks Ranch, between Banded Peak and Chama Peak in Archuleta County, Colorado.

The aircraft partially burned after impact and the pilot received fatal injuries on this cross-country flight operating under Title 14 CFR Part 91 and a VFR flight plan was on file. No ELT signal was heard via satellite; However, when search aircraft were directly over the accident site a weak ELT signal was received. The pilot's remains were removed from the accident site by helicopter on May 4, 1997.

The pilot of N20NK contacted the local flight service station (FSS) on April 22, 1997, at 1758 and obtained an outlook briefing for a flight from Sedona to Englewood. On April 23rd at 1146 the pilot activated a VFR flight plan for the trip and at 1305 the pilot of N20NK contacted Albuquerque FSS and reported that he was 2 miles south of Farmington, New Mexico, and that due to weather he needed to convert his flight plan to an instrument plan. Albuquerque FSS took the proposed flight plan which was: Current location direct Alamosa, Colorado, victor 210 to GOSIP intersection, victor 19 to COS, direct APA, cruise altitude of 15,000 feet, true airspeed of 140 knots, 2 hours en route, 3 hours 40 minutes fuel remaining and 1 person on board. At the time, the pilot said he was at 13,900 feet and descending due to the cloud base.

Albuquerque FSS put the pilot of N20NK in contact with Denver Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC). This took several attempts on different frequencies due to N20NK's altitude, which made contact difficult. At the time N20NK established communications with Denver Center, the pilot reported he was 56 miles southeast of Farmington at 13,500 feet. Following some identifying/locating discussion between the pilot and the controller, the pilot was asked by the controller if he could climb to 14,000 feet msl under visual conditions because below that altitude the controller could not issue an instrument clearance due to crossing traffic at 13,000 feet. The pilot of N20NK said that he could not climb visually and stated that he thought he was "starting to pick up some tail plane icing." Following further discussion with the controller rega