19990327043229A

Accident · No damage

FAA accident report · Piper PA-32-300 · Pagosa Springs, CO · March 27, 1999

Date: March 27, 1999
Place: Pagosa Springs, CO
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: No damage
Aircraft: N56306
NTSB investigation: NTSBDEN99FA064
Reported as: Piper PA32300
People aboard: 3
Fatal injuries: 3

N56306Registration cancelled Dec 7, 2000 · Piper PA-32-300S/N 32-7340170 Airframe modelPiper PA-32-300

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) On Saturday, March 27, 1999, N56306, a Piper model PA-32-300, departed durango, Colorado on a flight intended for des moines, Iowa. Although the exact departure time is unknown, it is estimated that the flight departed durango between 0730 and 0800MST. When the flight failed to arrive at des noines, Iowa at the planned epa of 3:00 pm, a concerned friedn reported the a/c missing. Search operations commenced. On Wednesday, April 7, 1999, the a/c was located at approx. 11,400 feet on chalk mountain, approx. 25 miles south east of Pagosa Springs, Colorado. The wreckage was not accessable dueto heavy snow cover, steep terrain and treacherous avalanche conditions. It appeared that the a/c impacted the terrain approx. 11,800 to 12,000 feet. The wing section was seen at about 11,400 feet and the tail section was resting below that near the tree line. The cabin section was not located. The a/c was destroyed and it is presumed that the pilot and 2 passengers received fatal injuries.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON SATURDAY, MARCH 27, 1999, N56306, A PIPER MODEL PA-32-300, DEPARTED DURANGO, COLORADO ON A FLIGHT INTENDED FOR DES MOINES, IOWA. ALTHOUGH THE EXACT DEPARTURE TIME IS UNKNOWN, IT IS ESTIMATED THAT THE FLIGHT DEPARTED DURANGO BETWEEN 0730 AND 0800MST. WHEN THE FLIGHT FAILED TO ARRIVE AT DES NOINES, IOWA AT THE PLANNED EPA OF 3:00 PM, A CONCERNED FRIEDN REPORTED THE A/C MISSING. SEARCH OPERATIONS COMMENCED. ON WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7, 1999, THE A/C WAS LOCATED AT APPROX. 11,400 FEET ON CHALK MOUNTAIN, APPROX. 25 MILES SOUTH EAST OF PAGOSA SPRINGS, COLORADO. THE WRECKAGE WAS NOT ACCESSABLE DUETO HEAVY SNOW COVER, STEEP TERRAIN AND TREACHEROUS AVALANCHE CONDITIONS. IT APPEARED THAT THE A/C IMPACTED THE TERRAIN APPROX. 11,800 TO 12,000 FEET. THE WING SECTION WAS SEEN AT ABOUT 11,400 FEET AND THE TAIL SECTION WAS RESTING BELOW THAT NEAR THE TREE LINE. THE CABIN SECTION WAS NOT LOCATED. THE A/C WAS DESTROYED AND IT IS PRESUMED THAT THE PILOT AND 2 PASSENGERS RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB DEN99FA064Accident · 3 fatalField investigationFinal reportPagosa Springs, COThe pilot's continued VFR flight into IMC conditions. Related factors were flight into known adverse weather, the adverse weather, mountain obscuration, snow, icing, and high density altitude.Mar 27, 1999 · Destroyed

Other reports on N56306 · 1

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

Incident 19900922048219IForced/Precautionary Landing · Des Moines, IASmoke in cockpit after departure. Returned. Heater used for first time in months.Sep 22, 1990