# Accident 19891125046709A: Piper PA28140, Steamboat Sprin, CO, November 25, 1989

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: November 25, 1989, 11:56 local time
- Place: Steamboat Sprin, CO
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Unauth Low Level Opns
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 40.4896° N, 106.8306° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.4896&lon=-106.8306&mi=10
- Aircraft: N6385R, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N6385R-2013-04-29) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-28-140 (registry code 7102802, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-140) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA28140
- Reported engine: LYC O320E2A
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 1,065 total, 161 in this make and model, 190 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB DEN90LA025](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN90LA025) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19891125046709A

## Narrative

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

FLEW INTO MOUNTAIN PASS IN IMC ENCOUNTERED SEVERE DOWNDRAFT. TRIED TO TURN AROUND. HIT TREES. VFR NOT RECOMMENDED.

## 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 DEN90LA025](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN90LA025), Nov 25, 1989: Piper PA-28 (N6385R), Steamboat Spgs, CO, destroyed. Probable cause: CONTINUED VFR FLIGHT BY THE PILOT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC) AND HIS DELAY IN DIVERTING OR REVERSING COURSE. THE TERRAIN, WEATHER CONDITIONS, WING ICE, AND TREES WERE CONSIDERED…

## Other reports on N6385R (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Accident 19821115062829A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19821115062829A), Nov 15, 1982: Piper PA28140 (N6385R), Ft Collins, CO, Substantial damage. Pilot forgot to enrich mixture during descent. Engine lost power and crash occurred during emergency landing.

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.
