Colorado Aviation Accidents & Incidents

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On July 28, 1996, at 1408 mountain daylight time, a Slaybaugh Mustang II, N16WY, was destroyed when it impacted terrain while descending at Crested Butte, Colorado, The commercial pilot (a USAF instructor pilot) and his passenger were fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight conducted under Title 14 CFR Part 91. The flight originated at Gunnison, Colorado, on July 28 approximately 1330.

The accident airplane and another airplane, a Long EZ (also flown by a USAF instructor pilot), were participating in Crested Butte's 22nd annual Aerial Weekend. According to the Long EZ pilot, they were flying abeam of each other over the town at 1200 to 1300 feet agl. The maneuver they were performing was described as a converging turn --- the Long EZ climbing and turning left and the Mustang II climbing and turning right --- with the intention of rejoining. Prior to starting the maneuver, the Mustang II pilot said, "I don't have enough room, hold on a sec." The Long EZ pilot said he interpreted this remark to mean his wingman was too close to a mountain to the south to make a right turn. Shortly thereafter, the Mustang II pilot reported he was ready and the two pilots commenced the maneuver. The Long EZ pilot said that as he completed 45 degrees of the turn, he saw the Mustang II "in what seemed to be 120-135 degrees of left bank" and "approximately 80 degrees nose low" attitude. He lost sight of the airplane momentarily and when he saw it again, the airplane had "approximately 20-30 degrees of left bank" and it appeared the pilot "was trying to pull out from the dive." He then observed the airplane impact the ground.

A retired Air Force brigadier general (and former USAF fighter pilot, instructor pilot, and accident investigator) observed the maneuver and subsequent accident from a nearby golf course. In his statement the general wrote, "I observed the aircraft separating from loose formation with (a Long EZ), taking up a general heading of south. The two had been observed making passes over Crested Butte and Mount Crested Butte since early afternoon the day prior. In each (instance) when I observed, flight conduct appeared routine, safe, and well within FAA restrictions.

"After the aircraft broke formation, the (Mustang II) entered what appeared to be a routine diving turn. It did not appear to be a wing-over, as I did not recall seeing the nose (which was pointed generally towards me) come above the horizon. Neither did the diving turn appear to be loading excessive G's on the aircraft. It looked routine and normal. My impression was the pilot was reversing course to execute a low level pass on the town of Crested Butte. Just at that point of perception, the aircraft continued feeding in more bank and I then perceived he was lining up for his run-in as the wings continued on to hear 180 degrees of bank. I saw nothing extraordinary to cause concer