Colorado Aviation Accidents & Incidents

On May 24, 1994, approximately 1400 mountain daylight time, N6695K, a Schweizer G-164B, was substantially damaged during a precautionary landing near Antonito, Colorado. The pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight.

The following is based on the pilot/operator report and a verbal report the pilot gave to a Federal Aviation Administration inspector. The pilot refueled at Trinidad, Colorado, programmed his Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver, and took off for Center, Colorado, at 1330. The GPS had been "very accurate" during the flight but when it indicated the airplane had arrived at Center, the pilot was unable to locate the airport. With insufficient fuel remaining to fly to Alamosa, the pilot decided to make a precautionary landing on a gravel road. The road was oriented to the south-southwest, and the wind was from the south at 15 miles per hour (MPH) with gusts to 25 MPH. During the landing roll, a wind gust was encountered and the airplane drifted off the right side of the road. The right main landing gear was torn off when it struck a large rock, the airplane groundlooped to the right, and came to rest on its nose and left wing tip.

According to a Conejos deputy sheriff, the road the pilot landed on was 5 miles south of Antonito. According to the Denver Sectional Chart, Antonito is about 50 miles south of Center, and 80 miles west of Trinidad. The pilot indicated he departed Trinidad with 80 gallons of fuel, and was unfamiliar with the area. THE PILOT'S IMPROPER COMPENSATION FOR WIND CONDITIONS. A FACTOR WAS THE GUSTY CROSSWIND AND THE PILOT INADVERTENTLY BECOMING LOST.