Colorado Aviation Accidents & Incidents
Learn from Colorado's accident history to fly safer in the Rockies
2310 Total Accidents
425 Fatal
816 Fatalities
1982-2026
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2 Fatal
LA VETA, Colorado
NTSB Narrative
HISTORY OF FLIGHT
On July 26, 1998, approximately 1100 mountain daylight time, a Beech H35, N35DE, registered to and operated by the pilot, was destroyed when it collided with terrain while maneuvering near La Veta Pass, about 8 miles northwest of La Veta, Colorado. The private pilot and his passenger were fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of their departure from Alamosa, Colorado, but instrument meteorological conditions reportedly existed at the accident site. No flight plan had been filed for the personal cross-country flight being conducted under Title 14 CFR Part 91. The flight originated at 1042.
The pilot, James R. Ash, and his passenger, Joseph A. Todaro, departed Buckeye, Arizona, at 0620, en route to Oshkosh, Wisconsin, where they planned to attend the Experimental Aircraft Association's annual fly-in. The airplane landed at Alamosa approximately 1000. According to Lineman Randy Duran, he serviced the airplane with 52.5 gallons of 100-LL aviation gasoline and added oil. He noticed the pilot wore two hearing aids. His passenger was apprehensive and expressed concern about the weather.
About the same time, a group of experimental-homebuilt airplanes, also en route to the EAA fly-in, landed at Alamosa for fuel. As the pilots prepared to depart, Paul Foster and John McMillan of Cody, Wyoming, flying N761AV, a Cessna T210M, offered to fly to La Veta Pass and assess the weather. When they arrived at La Veta Pass, they radioed the other pilots that the pass was completely obscured. The pilots returned to Alamosa and spent the night at a local motel.
Mr. Duran said that when N35DE taxied out for takeoff, the weather was "pretty nasty" with overcast skies. It had been raining "off and on," and the mountains to the east were obscured. Although the winds favored, and the active runway was, runway 02, the pilot of N35DE took off on runway 22. He made no radio transmissions to announce his intentions. A Cessna P210N, N731JT, piloted by Jerry Smith of Blanca, Colorado, landed on runway 02. During his landing roll, Mr. Smith looked up and saw N35DE pass overhead. He described it as a "near collision."
When the pilot of N35DE failed to contact family members on a prearranged date, they became concerned and contacted FAA officials. An ALNOT (alert notice) was issued on the afternoon of July 30. The wreckage was located by the Colorado Civil Air Patrol approximately 1100 on July 31 at a location of 37 degrees, 343.4 minutes north latitude and 105 degrees, 9.4 minutes west longitude, at the 9,000 foot level.
CREW INFORMATION
The pilot, James Russell Ash, age 73, was born on October 6, 1924. He held Private Pilot Certificate No. 1668929, dated December 30, 1965, with an airplane single-engine land rating. He was not instrument rated. He possessed a third class airman medical certificate, dated December 6, 1997, with the limitation, "Holder shall wear lenses that correct for distant visio
On July 26, 1998, approximately 1100 mountain daylight time, a Beech H35, N35DE, registered to and operated by the pilot, was destroyed when it collided with terrain while maneuvering near La Veta Pass, about 8 miles northwest of La Veta, Colorado. The private pilot and his passenger were fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of their departure from Alamosa, Colorado, but instrument meteorological conditions reportedly existed at the accident site. No flight plan had been filed for the personal cross-country flight being conducted under Title 14 CFR Part 91. The flight originated at 1042.
The pilot, James R. Ash, and his passenger, Joseph A. Todaro, departed Buckeye, Arizona, at 0620, en route to Oshkosh, Wisconsin, where they planned to attend the Experimental Aircraft Association's annual fly-in. The airplane landed at Alamosa approximately 1000. According to Lineman Randy Duran, he serviced the airplane with 52.5 gallons of 100-LL aviation gasoline and added oil. He noticed the pilot wore two hearing aids. His passenger was apprehensive and expressed concern about the weather.
About the same time, a group of experimental-homebuilt airplanes, also en route to the EAA fly-in, landed at Alamosa for fuel. As the pilots prepared to depart, Paul Foster and John McMillan of Cody, Wyoming, flying N761AV, a Cessna T210M, offered to fly to La Veta Pass and assess the weather. When they arrived at La Veta Pass, they radioed the other pilots that the pass was completely obscured. The pilots returned to Alamosa and spent the night at a local motel.
Mr. Duran said that when N35DE taxied out for takeoff, the weather was "pretty nasty" with overcast skies. It had been raining "off and on," and the mountains to the east were obscured. Although the winds favored, and the active runway was, runway 02, the pilot of N35DE took off on runway 22. He made no radio transmissions to announce his intentions. A Cessna P210N, N731JT, piloted by Jerry Smith of Blanca, Colorado, landed on runway 02. During his landing roll, Mr. Smith looked up and saw N35DE pass overhead. He described it as a "near collision."
When the pilot of N35DE failed to contact family members on a prearranged date, they became concerned and contacted FAA officials. An ALNOT (alert notice) was issued on the afternoon of July 30. The wreckage was located by the Colorado Civil Air Patrol approximately 1100 on July 31 at a location of 37 degrees, 343.4 minutes north latitude and 105 degrees, 9.4 minutes west longitude, at the 9,000 foot level.
CREW INFORMATION
The pilot, James Russell Ash, age 73, was born on October 6, 1924. He held Private Pilot Certificate No. 1668929, dated December 30, 1965, with an airplane single-engine land rating. He was not instrument rated. He possessed a third class airman medical certificate, dated December 6, 1997, with the limitation, "Holder shall wear lenses that correct for distant visio
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Details
| NTSB Report | FTW98FA339 |
| Aircraft | Beech H35 |
| Registration | N35DE |
| Damage | DEST |
| FAR Part | 091 |
| Location | 37.5103, -105.0008 |
