# Accident 19890719024219A: Piper PA28160, Crested Butte, CO, July 19, 1989

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 19, 1989, 08:00 local time
- Place: Crested Butte, CO
- Airport: Crested Butte Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Unauth Low Level Opns
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 38.8709° N, 106.9795° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.8709&lon=-106.9795&mi=10
- Aircraft: N5673W, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N5673W-1990-07-17) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-28-160 (registry code 7102806, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-160) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA28160
- Reported engine: LYC O320D2A
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 603 total, 394 in this make and model, 98 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB DEN89LA174](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN89LA174) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19890719024219A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

FLYING IN LEE OF MOUNTAIN SCOUTING ELK. ENCOUNTERED SEVERE DOWNDRAFT CAUSING CRASH LANDING ON MOUNTAINSIDE.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB DEN89LA174](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN89LA174), Jul 19, 1989: Piper PA-28-160 (N5673W), Crested Butte, CO, substantial damage. Probable cause: FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN SUFFICIENT ALTITUDE WHILE FLYING OVER MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. THE TERRAIN AND WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE RELATED FACTORS.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.