Colorado Aviation Accidents & Incidents

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On Friday, August 15, 2008, about 0915 mountain daylight time (MDT), a Cessna 182T airplane, N487TC, was destroyed when it impacted terrain on Mount Guyot near Georgia Pass in Park County, Colorado. The instrument rated private pilot and three passengers were fatally injured. The personal flight was being conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 without a flight plan. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The cross-country flight originated at Bob Adams Airport (SBS), Steamboat Springs, Colorado, with an intended destination of Brenham Municipal Airport (11R), Brenham, Texas.

The pilot and three passengers were returning home after a family vacation. The airplane appeared on radar at 0844 and 9,200 feet mean sea level (MSL), six miles south of SBS. The airplane's path displayed a steady climb then leveled off at approximately 11,200' MSL. The radar flight path followed Victor Airway 421 southeasterly, crossed the Kremmling VORTAC, and began following Victor Airway 328 (heading 125 degrees) at 11,200' MSL. The minimum published safe en route altitude for Victor Airway 328 is 16,500' MSL. The last radar contact was at 0902 and 11,200' MSL, 30 miles southeast of the Kremmling VOR. The accident site was located 30 miles southeast of the last radar contact and five miles southwest of Victor Airway 328.

A witness, who was at home 6.6 miles northwest of the accident site, heard a low flying airplane the morning of August 15th. She indicated the airplane was flying very low to the east of her home, heading south, between 0830 and 0915. She looked outside, but did not see the airplane. She thought the plane was flying in the Swan River Valley and was within 300 yards of her home. She indicated the plane's engine sounded good. Weather at her house then was cloudy, without rain. She indicated it started to rain between 0930 and 1030 and that she saw smoke coming from Mt. Guyot around 1030, but did not think much of it at the time.

There was no evidence the pilot obtained a weather briefing prior to departure or filed a flight plan.

PERSONNEL INFORMATION

The pilot held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land, airplane multi-engine land, and instrument airplane. His last Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) third-class medical was issued on August 22, 2007, with no limitations.

An examination of the pilot's logbook recovered at the accident site indicated a total flight time of 1,576 hours, 154 actual instrument hours, and 39.7 simulated instrument hours, as of the last entry on June 22, 2007. Airplane rental records indicate the pilot had accumulated 71.1 hours in the accident airplane between February, 2006, and August 8, 2008, 46.7 hours of which were between August 16, 2007, and August 8, 2008. His last noted flight review was an instrument check-ride completed May 13, 2008, in the accident airplane.

AIR