# Accident 19981028030739A: Piper PA31350, Hayden, CO, October 28, 1998 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: October 28, 1998 - Place: Hayden, CO - Airport: Yampa Valley - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: Initial Approach-IFR - Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135) - Operator: MGDA - Location: 40.4904° N, 106.8300° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.4904&lon=-106.8300&mi=10 - Aircraft: N35533, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N35533-2000-04-05) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-31-350 (registry code 7103110, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-31-350) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA31350 - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 1 - NTSB investigation: [NTSB DEN99FA016](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN99FA016) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19981028030739A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (-23) ON OCTOBER 28, 1998, APPROXIMATELY 0905 MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME, A PIPER PA-31-350, N35533, WAS DESTROYED FOLLOWING IMPACT WITH TERRAIN DURING APPROACH INTO HAYDEN-YAMPA VALLEY AIRPORT, HAYDEN, COLORADO. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT IN THE AIRCRAFT, WAS FATALLY INJURED. THE AIRPLANE WAS OPERATED BY SUNDANCE AIR INC. OF DENVER, COLORADO, UNDER TITLE 14 CFR PART 135. INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE CROSS-COUNTRY CARGO FLIGHT WHICH ORIGINAED FROM COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO, APPROXIMATELY 1 HOUR AND 30 MINUTES BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED WITH THE DESTINATION OF HAYDEN, COLORADO. ACCORDING TO THE UNICOM OPERATOR, THE PILOT RADIOED IN AT 0845 REQUESTING AIRPORT ADVISORIES. THE UNICOM OPERATOR FURTHER STATED THAT THE PILOT CALLED THE LOCAL FBO AT 0857 REQUESTING FUEL AND OXYGEN BE WAITING FOR HIM ON THE RAMP. THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED CHAVEZ RIDGE AT AN ALITITUDE OF APPROXIMATELY 7900 FEET. THE TIME WAS APPROXIMATELY 0905 LOCAL. (.19) ON OCTOBER 28, 1998, APPROXIMATELY 0905 MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME, A PIPER PA-31-350, N35533, WAS DESTROYED FOLLOWING IMPACT WITH TERRAIN DURING AP PROACH TO HAYDEN-YAMPA VALLEY AIRPORT, HAYDEN, COLORADO. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT IN THE AIRPLANE, WAS FATALLY INJURED. THE AIRPLANE WAS OPERATED BY SUNDANCE AIR INC. OF DENVER, COLORADO, UNDER TITLE 14 CFR PART 135. INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE CROSS-COUNTRY CARGO FLIGHT WHICH ORIGINATED FROM COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO, APPROXIMATELY 1 HOUR 30 MINUTES BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED WITH THE DESTINATION OF HAYDEN, COLORADO. ACCORDING TO THE UNICOM OPERATOR, THE PILOT RADIOED IN AT 0845 REQUESTING AIRPORT ADVISORIES. THE UNICOM OPERATOR FURTHER STATED THAT THE PILOT CALLED THE LOCAL FBO AT 0857 REQUESTING FUEL AND OXYGEN BE WAITING FOR HIM ON THE RAMP. THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED CHAVEZ RIDGE AT APPROXIMATELY 0905. ## 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 DEN99FA016](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN99FA016), Oct 28, 1998: Piper PA-31-350 (N35533), Hayden, CO, destroyed, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot not following instrument procedures and subsequently descended to minimums prematurely. Factors were the mountainous terrain and the falling snow. ## Other reports on N35533 (5) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 19920520023049I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19920520023049I), May 20, 1992: Piper PA31350 (N35533), Kremmling, CO. NR1 engine power lost. Shut engine down. Continued to denver. Found NR1 turbocharger drive shaft sheared. - [Accident 19851012054669A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19851012054669A), Oct 12, 1985: Piper PA31350 (N35533), Panaca, NV, Substantial damage. Forced landing due to fuel exhaustion. No mechanical malfunctions found. - [Incident 19811022082349I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19811022082349I), Oct 22, 1981: Piper PA31350 (N35533), Albuquerque, NM. Approching behind a heavy jet, lost control, entered a spin, recovered and landed safe. Blamed vortex turbulance. - [Incident 19810511052959I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19810511052959I), May 11, 1981: Piper PA31350 (N35533), Phoenix, AZ. Oil leak, oil temp increase in right engine. Returned to land. Found hole in side of a piston, from lean mixture. - [Incident 19810310027609I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19810310027609I), Mar 10, 1981: Piper PA31350 (N35533), Farmington, NM, Minor damage. Aircraft sustained lightening strike during climb. Damage to engine and several components. 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.