Colorado Aviation Accidents & Incidents

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On August 9, 2004, approximately 1715 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 172P, N911JR, piloted by a private pilot, was destroyed when it impacted mountainous terrain while maneuvering near Monarch Pass, Monarch Crest, Colorado. A post-crash fire ensued. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was being conducted under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 without a flight plan. The two pilots sustained fatal injuries. The cross-country flight originated at Montrose, Colorado, at 1525, and was en route to McCook, Nebraska.

According to the operator, the pilots --- an uncle and nephew --- departed Alleghany County Airport, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on Wednesday, August 4, 2004, and flew to Phoenix, Arizona, via Lexington, Kentucky. Flying three 3-hour legs each day, they arrived in Phoenix on Friday, August 6. They picked up a passenger and flew to San Diego, California. There, they spent Saturday, August 7, with the pilot's mother, who was celebrating her 60th birthday. They departed San Diego on Sunday, August 8, and flew back to Phoenix, where the passenger disembarked. From there, they flew to Bryce Canyon, Utah, and spent the night. The next morning (the day of the accident), the pilot telephoned his wife and told her they were en route home, and would fly to West Bend, Wisconsin, to see the pilot's father. The two pilots departed Bryce Canyon and flew to Montrose. The pilot telephoned the operator approximately 1400 and told them the weather was fine, and the airplane was performing well. FAA records indicate the pilot telephoned the Denver Automated Flight Service Station (AFSS) and received a weather briefing for a flight from Montrose to McCook. He did not file a flight plan. Approximately 1525, the airplane was serviced to capacity with 27.6 gallons of 100-LL fuel. The airplane departed Montrose approximately 1530. After takeoff, the pilot told the Unicom operator that they were going to "circle the area for a while."

Two Virginia tourists, hiking near the Continental Divide, heard an airplane approaching. One of the tourists turned and saw an airplane "at eye level, maybe 100 yards away, coming towards me. Then the plane seemed stationary in flight, the engine skipped, [the airplane] took a hard right hand turn, as I faced the plane, then the tail went straight up over the wing and it went straight down. Instantly into flames." The other tourist saw the airplane "come up [the] mountain [pass], [it] tried to turn around and went straight down." One of the tourists hitched a ride to nearby Monarch Ski Resort to report the accident; the other videotaped the burning airplane. The Chaffee County Sheriff's Office received the first 9-1-1 call at 1736 and, in turn, notified the Gunnison County Sheriff's Office. Both county sheriff and fire departments responded.

CREW INFORMATION

The left seat pilot, age 31, held a private pilot certificate with airplane single-engine land