ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 38078
Last updated: 25 May 2013
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| Date: | 31-JAN-1996 |
| Time: | 2155 |
| Type: |  Piper PA-34-220T |
| Operator: | Rocky Mountain Propellers |
| Registration: | N83809 |
| C/n / msn: | 34-8133085 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Airplane damage: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Location: | Estes Park, CO -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Erie, CO (48V) |
| Boise, ID (BOI) |
The pilot filed an IFR flight plan and made a night departure from Erie, Colorado, en route to Boise, Idaho. After receiving his IFR clearance in flight, he requested a VFR-on-top clearance and 'a vector heading for (Rock Springs, Wyoming)...just to verify...a radar vector heading just to check that...I'm having a little heading problems here, but switching to compass nav, but we're VFR on top. In fact, it's pretty much VFR below us now.' Nine minutes later, radar contact with the airplane was lost. The airplane remained missing for about a month, and the wreckage was not recovered from a mountain side for 7 months. Radar data indicated the airplane descended from an encoded altitude of 15,100 feet to 13,900 feet in 1 minute, 31 seconds, or about 800 feet per minute. No distress call was received. Wreckage examination failed to explain why the airplane descended or anything causal to accident. CAUSE: Descent into mountainous terrain for reasons undetermined.
Sources:
NTSB: http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=20001208X05130
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 24-Oct-2008 10:30 | ASN archive | Added |
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