Colorado Aviation Accidents & Incidents

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On Friday, November 14, 2014, about 1730 Mountain Standard Time (MST), a Mooney M20C, N6466U, collided with trees in mountainous terrain near Stevens Field (PSO), Pagosa Springs, Colorado. The certificated private pilot and passenger were fatally injured. The airplane was destroyed. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and no flight plan had been filed. The flight originated from Moriarty Airport (0E0), Moriarty, New Mexico, and was destined for PSO.

The pilot and his passenger were en route to Pagosa Springs to go skiing. There is no record of the pilot receiving a weather briefing from any official source. Prior to departure from 0E0, the pilot telephoned the fixed based operator (FBO) at PSO to reserve a rental car. He said he had never flown into PSO before, and the FBO advised the pilot not to attempt the flight due to inclement weather in the area. The pilot stated he was "a professional pilot" and that he would be flying into PSO that day. The FBO gave the pilot the telephone number for Enterprise Car Rental. The pilot called the rental car agency and reserved an automobile, stating he would be arriving about 1700. The rental car agent also advised the pilot of the inclement weather, and the pilot repeated his intention to fly to PSO that day.

Approximately 1645, the FBO manager said he heard a "scratchy unintelligible transmission" on the PSO Unicom. A few minutes later, he heard another transmission from the same source, picking up the word, "Mooney." About 1655, the manager heard a clear transmission from the pilot, who said he was 10 miles south of PSO. The FBO manager advised the pilot that the weather conditions were "100 overcast and a quarter-mile visibility in snow." Approximately 1700, the manager, other FBO personnel, and a pilot went outside and heard an airplane approaching. The manager said he then heard the airplane circling south and estimated it was "probably below 1,000 feet" above ground level (agl). Shortly thereafter, the pilot called PSO Unicom and asked if the runway lights were at their highest intensity setting. The FBO manager confirmed that they were. The FBO manager asked the pilot what his intentions were and the pilot responded, "I need to get out of the weather." No further communications were received.

At 1923 that evening, the U.S. Air Force Rescue Coordination Center (AFRCC) contacted the Archuleta County Sheriff's Department's Division of Emergency Management and reported the airplane was missing. In addition, the New Mexico State Police received a call from the Albuquerque (NM) Police Department reporting the same details because the passenger, a teacher, had failed to show up for class. A search was initiated and on November 19, at 1237, the wreckage was located by ground teams.

PERSONNEL (CREW) INFORMA