# Accident 19981215044299A: Piper PA46350P, Granby, CO, December 15, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: December 15, 1998
- Place: Granby, CO
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 40.0809° N, 105.9295° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.0809&lon=-105.9295&mi=10
- Aircraft: N9255B, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N9255B) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA 46-350P (registry code 7104620, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-46-350p) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming IO-540 series (registry code 41530, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-540-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA46350P
- People aboard: 4
- Fatal injuries: 0
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB DEN99LA026](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN99LA026) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19981215044299A

## Narrative

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

(.19)ON DECEMBER 15, 1998, APPROXIMATELY 1639 MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME, A PIPER MALIBU PA-46-350P, N9255B SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DURING AN ENCOUNTER WITH TURBULENCE DURING DESCENT NEAR GRANBY, COLORADO. THE AIRLINE TRANSPORT RATED PILOT AND HIS THREE PASSENGERS WERE NOT INJURED.  THE AIRPLANE WAS BEING OPERATED BY 101 JET AVIATION, INC. OF ENGLEWOOD, COLORADO UNDER TITLE 14 CFR PART 135.  VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THIS CHARTER CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT WHICH ORIGINATED FROM IDAHO FALLS, IDAHO, APPROXIMATELY 1 HOUR 24 MINUTES BEFORE THE ACCIDENT.  AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED.  ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, "THE FLIGHT HAD BEEN UNEVENTFUL TO THAT POINT."  HE SAID THAT "HE FELT THE NOSE TUCK A LITTLE AND THEN WHAM--THEY HIT SEVERE-EXTREME TURBULENCE."  THE PILOT SAID THAT HE NOTICED A WRINKLE IN THE LEFT WING SKIN APPROXIMATELY 5 TO 8 FEET OUT FROM THE FUSELAGE.  INITIAL ASSESSMENT OF THE DAMAGE INDICATES THAT BOTH WINGS WILL NEED TO BE REPLACE.

## 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 DEN99LA026](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN99LA026), Dec 15, 1998: Piper PA-46-350P (N9255B), Granby, CO, substantial damage. Probable cause: The in-flight encounter with clear air turbulence during descent.

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.