What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On 10/22/05 at 19:27 MDT, a Lancair LC-40-550FG, N101HK, piloted by privacy data omitted was destroyed when it impacted mountainous terrain 10 miles east of Steamboat springs, CO. Night VFR conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The flight from burlington, Iowa to Steamboat springs, CO was operated under FAR 91 with an IFR flight plan until 19:20 MDT, at which time the pilot cancelled the IFR flight plan with denver ARTCC. The private pilot and passenger were fatally injured. Hunters camping in the area observed the aircraft fly over at approximately 300 feet AGL and reported the engine sounded to them as if it were running roughly or failing. They heard the aircraft impact terrain just after losing sight of it below tree level and reported the crash to authorities. The crash site was located by Routt county search and rescue the next morning on walton peak at the 10,500 foot level. The flight departed burlington (brl) with approximately 98 gallons of usable fuel to conduct an estimated 850NM flight to Steamboat springs (sbs). Flight planned TAS was 175 knots at 14,000 feet. At 21:07Z the pilot reported to fss flight watch that he was experiencing a 50 knot headwind. The pilot descended to 12,000 feet and called fss again in the area of grand island (gri) for a winds aloft forecast, which were reported as 330 degrees at 36 knots at 12,000 feet. Assuming an average ground speed of approximately 135 knots and fuel consumption of 15 gph, an 850 NM flight would have used approximately 95 gallons of fuel not counting the climb to cruise altitude. This calculation would have brought the aircraft close to fuel exhaustion near the accident site.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON 10/22/05 AT 19:27 MDT, A LANCAIR LC-40-550FG, N101HK, PILOTED BY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITT^ WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT IMPACTED MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN 10 MILES EAST OF STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, CO. NIGHT VFR CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE FLIGHT FROM BURLINGTON, IOWA TO STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, CO WAS OPERATED UNDER FAR 91 WITH AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN UNTIL 19:20 MDT, AT WHICH TIME THE PILOT CANCELLED THE IFR FLIGHT PLAN WITH DENVER ARTCC. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE FATALLY INJURED. HUNTERS CAMPING IN THE AREA OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT FLY OVER AT APPROXIMATELY 300 FEET AGL AND REPORTED THE ENGINE SOUNDED TO THEM AS IF IT WERE RUNNING ROUGHLY OR FAILING. THEY HEARD THE AIRCRAFT IMPACT TERRAIN JUST AFTER LOSING SIGHT OF IT BELOW TREE LEVEL AND REPORTED THE CRASH TO AUTHORITIES. THE CRASH SITE WAS LOCATED BY ROUTT COUNTY SEARCH AND RESCUE THE NEXT MORNING ON WALTON PEAK AT THE 10,500 FOOT LEVEL. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED BURLINGTON (BRL) WITH APPROXIMATELY 98 GALLONS OF USABLE FUEL TO CONDUCT AN ESTIMATED 850NM FLIGHT TO STEAMBOAT SPRINGS (SBS). FLIGHT PLANNED TAS WAS 175 KNOTS AT 14,000 FEET. AT 21:07Z THE PILOT REPORTED TO FSS FLIGHT WATCH THAT HE WAS EXPERIENCING A 50 KNOT HEADWIND. THE PILOT DESCENDED TO 12,000 FEET AND CALLED FSS AGAIN IN THE AREA OF GRAND ISLAND (GRI) FOR A WINDS ALOFT FORECAST, WHICH WERE REPORTED AS 330 DEGREES AT 36 KNOTS AT 12,000 FEET. ASSUMING AN AVERAGE GROUND SPEED OF APPROXIMATELY 135 KNOTS AND FUEL CONSUMPTION OF 15 GPH, AN 850 NM FLIGHT WOULD HAVE USED APPROXIMATELY 95 GALLONS OF FUEL NOT COUNTING THE CLIMB TO CRUISE ALTITUDE. THIS CALCULATION WOULD HAVE BROUGHT THE AIRCRAFT CLOSE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION NEAR THE ACCIDENT SITE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N101HK · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.