Colorado Aviation Accidents & Incidents

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On December 19, 1997, approximately 2017 mountain standard time, a Swearingen SA226-T (Merlin III), N950TT, was destroyed following impact with terrain near Byers, Colorado. The airline transport rated pilot, the sole occupant in the airplane, was fatally injured. The airplane was operated by the pilot under Title 14 CFR Part 91. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed (weather data and pilot reports indicate that visual meteorological conditions existed above an estimated 8,000 feet msl) for the night cross-country personal flight which originated from Front Range Airport (FTG) near Denver, Colorado, approximately 9 minutes before the accident. An IFR flight plan had been activated with the destination of Aspen, Colorado (ASE).

Witnesses reported to the Investigator-In-Charge (IIC) that maintenance personnel at Chicago Midway Airport (MDW), had been working on N950TT "right up to the pilot's departure from Midway." One witness further stated that he remembered the pilot departing Midway sometime between 1300 and 1315 MST. Data from the pilot's logbook indicated that he had flown to Waukegan Regional Airport (UGN) where a mechanic reported to the IIC that a second transponder was reinstalled. The mechanic further stated that "N950TT was on the ground for only a short period of time and that the pilot appeared very eager to get started on his flight to ASE." The mechanic reported that the airplane was "full of packages and personal stuff."

FAA records indicate that N950TT departed UGN at 1506 for ASE. Witnesses at FTG reported that N950TT landed on runway 35 at approximately 1920 and taxied to the ramp for fuel. Another pilot, in a Cessna 402, arriving from Scottsbluff, Nebraska, reported that he was given holding instructions by Air Traffic Control (ATC) because N950TT had not closed his flight plan. Witnesses at FTG reported that ATC telephoned them to see if N950TT had safely landed; ATC subsequently cleared the Cessna 402 for the ILS to runway 35.

The pilot told the lineman at FTG that he changed his destination to FTG while en route due to the fact that "headwinds were greater than expected [the 769 nm from UGN to FTG took the pilot approximately 4.2 hours to fly]." The pilot further stated to the lineman that "fuel at $1.55 per gallon [at FTG] was a lot better than $2.55 [at ASE]." The lineman reported that the airplane "appeared normal" and that he didn't notice any ice on the airplane. The lineman did say that "light was limited on the ramp and that it was a very dark night." The lineman stated that the pilot requested that he "top the tanks off"; he subsequently put 190 gallons of Jet-A fuel in the right tank and 200 gallons of Jet-A fuel in the left tank.

The pilot's wife reported that the pilot telephoned her from FTG to give her his location and estimated time of arrival at ASE. He then called FAA FSS to get a weather briefing and file an IFR flight plan for ASE.

Radar data indicated t