What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Windshear trying to negoiate a pass unable retard descent in lee of mountain landed in snowbank. Tore off pod gear. (.4)the commercial pilot, and five passengers departed eastbound from a rural airstrip for a cross-country flight across high mountainous terrain. The pilot had flown along the planned route of flight numerous times in the past. He obtained pilot reports of weather conditions in several mountain passes that traveresed the mountain rage along the planned route. The weather reports included wind speeds of 40 knots with turbulence. An area forecast included airmet's for mountain obscuration, turbulence in all mountain passes, and icing conditions. The pilot said he was aware of the potential for turbulence over the mountains and climbed the airplane to 13,500 feet. When the flight approached the lee side of the pilot's planned crossing point over the mountains, the airplane encountered severe downdrafts. The pilot applied full power, but the airplane continued to descend toward blowing snow along the mountain ridge. The pilot said he had no alternative but to land into a snow bank. The airplane collided with snow covered terrain at 10,500 feet MSL. The airplan e's belly mounted cargo pod, and the landing gear were torn off the fuselage. (-23) Mr. Sattler conducted this flight in marginal weather conditions, which resulted in his aircraft impacting a mountain at the 10,500 foot level. He had 5 passengers on board. All persons were rescued. Mr. Sattler is suspected of conducting a part 135 air taxi operation without a proper part 135 certificate.
As the FAA filed it
WINDSHEAR TRYING TO NEGOIATE A PASS UNABLE RETARD DESCENT IN LEE OF MOUNTAIN LANDED IN SNOWBANK. TORE OFF POD GEAR. (.4)THE COMMERCIAL PILOT, AND FIVE PASSENGERS DEPARTED EASTBOUND FROM A RURAL AIRSTRIP FOR A CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT ACROSS HIGH MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. THE PILOT HAD FLOWN ALONG THE PLANNED ROUTE OF FLIGHT NUMEROUS TIMES IN THE PAST. HE OBTAINED PILOT REPORTS OF WEATHER CONDITIONS IN SEVERAL MOUNTAIN PASSES THAT TRAVERESED THE MOUNTAIN RAGE ALONG THE PLANNED ROUTE. THE WEATHER REPORTS INCLUDED WIND SPEEDS OF 40 KNOTS WITH TURBULENCE. AN AREA FORECAST INCLUDED AIRMET'S FOR MOUNTAIN OBSCURATION, TURBULENCE IN ALL MOUNTAIN PASSES, AND ICING CONDITIONS. THE PILOT SAID HE WAS AWARE OF THE POTENTIAL FOR TURBULENCE OVER THE MOUNTAINS AND CLIMBED THE AIRPLANE TO 13,500 FEET. WHEN THE FLIGHT APPROACHED THE LEE SIDE OF THE PILOT'S PLANNED CROSSING POINT OVER THE MOUNTAINS, THE AIRPLANE ENCOUNTERED SEVERE DOWNDRAFTS. THE PILOT APPLIED FULL POWER, BUT THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED TO DESCEND TOWARD BLOWING SNOW ALONG THE MOUNTAIN RIDGE. THE PILOT SAID HE HAD NO ALTERNATIVE BUT TO LAND INTO A SNOW BANK. THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH SNOW COVERED TERRAIN AT 10,500 FEET MSL. THE AIRPLAN E'S BELLY MOUNTED CARGO POD, AND THE LANDING GEAR WERE TORN OFF THE FUSELAGE. (-23) MR. SATTLER CONDUCTED THIS FLIGHT IN MARGINAL WEATHER CONDITIONS, WHICH RESULTED IN HIS AIRCRAFT IMPACTING A MOUNTAIN AT THE 10,500 FOOT LEVEL. HE HAD 5 PASSENGERS ON BOARD. ALL PERSONS WERE RESCUED. MR. SATTLER IS SUSPECTED OF CONDUCTING A PART 135 AIR TAXI OPERATION WITHOUT A PROPER PART 135 CERTIFICATE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.