Colorado Aviation Accidents & Incidents

HISTORY OF FLIGHT
On March 22, 2014, at 1400 mountain daylight time, a Socata TBM 700, N702H, impacted the Ridgway Reservoir, Ridgway, Colorado. The airplane came to rest in about 60 feet of water. The pilot and four passengers were fatally injured, and the airplane was substantially damaged. The airplane was registered to Gadsden Aviation LLC and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the destination airport. The flight was operated on an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan. The flight originated from the Bartlesville Municipal Airport (BVO), Bartlesville, Oklahoma, about 1111. The intended destination was the Montrose Regional Airport (MTJ), Montrose, Colorado.At 0622 on the morning of the accident, the pilot accessed the Direct User Access Terminal Service (DUATS) and obtained a weather briefing for the route of flight from the Northeast Alabama Regional Airport (GAD), Gadsden, Alabama, to BVO. An IFR flight plan for that route of flight was subsequently filed. The accident pilot was listed as the pilot-in-command.

Tracking data indicated that the airplane subsequently departed GAD about 0739 and arrived at BVO about 1001. Personnel at the fixed base operator (FBO) located at BVO reported that upon arrival, the pilot requested that the airplane be topped off with fuel and that a ground power unit be made available for engine start. They noted that the pilot and passengers came into the FBO to eat lunch. At 1038, the pilot again accessed DUATS and obtained a weather briefing for the route of flight from BVO to MTJ. An IFR flight plan was subsequently filed for that route of flight. That flight plan also listed the accident pilot as the pilot-in-command. The FBO personnel stated that the pilot and passengers re-boarded the airplane after their lunch. The subsequent engine start up, taxi and takeoff appeared normal. Nothing with respect to the airplane or the pilot seemed out of the ordinary, nor did they have any concerns regarding the flight.

At 1111, the pilot contacted the Kansas City Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) and informed the controller that the flight had departed BVO and requested an IFR clearance to MTJ. The accident flight was subsequently radar identified and cleared direct to MTJ at an ultimate cruising altitude of 26,000 feet pressure altitude (FL260).

About 1233, control of the flight was transferred to the Denver ARTCC. At 1330, the controller advised the pilot to expect the RNAV(GPS) Rwy 35 approach at MTJ. At 1341, the controller instructed the pilot to descend to and maintain 17,000 feet mean sea level (msl). This was amended to 16,000 feet msl four minutes later. At 1348, the pilot was instructed to maintain 16,000 feet msl until reaching the YARUB navigation fix, an initial approach fix for the MTJ RNAV (GPS) Rwy 35 approach procedure. The pilot was also cleared for the approa