# Accident 20081222853659A: Piper PA46310P, Craig, CO, December 22, 2008 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: December 22, 2008, 19:20 local time - Place: Craig, CO - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: Approach - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 40.5697° N, 107.4156° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.5697&lon=-107.4156&mi=10 - Aircraft: N46SB, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N46SB-2018-01-23) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-46-310P (registry code 7104605, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-46-310p) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Continental TSIO-520 series (registry code 17040, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-tsio-520-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA46310P - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 2 - Pilot flight hours: 1,767 total, 823 in this make and model, 4 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB CEN09FA098](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN09FA098) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20081222853659A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. AT APPROXIMATELY 1220 LOCAL TIME N46SB CRASHED APPROXIMATELY 10 NAUTICAL MILES WEST NORTHWEST OF YAMPA VALLEY AIRPORT IN HAYDEN, COLORADO. THE AIRCRAFT WAS ON AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN FROM HUTCHINSON, KANSAS (HUT) TO YAMPA VALLEY (HDN). THE FEMALE WAS TALKING ON THE RADIOS TO DENVER CENTER. PRELIMINARY INFORMATION INDICATES THAT DENVER CENTER CLEARED THE AIRCRAFT FOR THE ILS RUNWAY 10 APPROACH INTO HDN. THE AIRCRAFT FLEW OUTBOUND ON THE LOCALIZER FOR RUNWAY 10 AND STARTED THE PROCEDURE TURN. DURING THE TURN BACK INBOUND FROM THE PROCEDURE TURN THE AIRCRAFT DOES NOT MAKE THE FULL 180 DEGREE TURN BACK TOWARDS THE LOCALIZER. THE AIRCRAFT CROSSED THE LOCALIZER AT APPROXIMATELY 90 DEGREES. DENVER CENTER INQUIRED THE AIRCRAFT AS TO WHY THEY WERE CROSSING THE LOCALIZER AND NOT INTERCEPTING FINAL APPROACH. THE FEMALE VOICE STATED THAT THEY WERE HAVING GEAR PROBLEMS. DENVER CENTER GAVE THE AIRCRAFT A HEADING TO RE-INTERCEPT THE LOCALIZER. THE AIRCRAFT TRACK IS ON THE HEADING BACK TOWARDS THE LOCALIZER AND INDICATES THAT THEY HAVE 3 GREEN LIGHTS. AFTER THE AIRCRAFT INTERCEPTS THE LOCALIZER DENVER CENTER TELLS THE AIRCRAFT IT COULD SWITCH FREQUENCIES TO THE CTAF. AFTER THIS POINT THERE WAS NO RADIO COMMUNICATION AGAIN WITH THE AIRCRAFT. AFTER INTERCEPTING THE AIRCRAFT CLIMBS 1000 FEET (FROM 8,800 FEET TO 9,800 FEET) IN 24 SECONDS. AFTER THE CLIMB THE AIRCRAFT MAKES A LEFT TURN AND DESCENDS 1,400 FEET IN 12 SECONDS (FROM 9,800 TO 8,400). THE LAST TWO RADAR IMAGES ARE AT 8,300 FEET AND THEN 8,000 FEET. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST IN A FIELD SURROUNDED BY HILLS AT 6,580 FEET. THE AIRCRAFT WAS FACING A SOUTHWESTERLY DIRECTION UPON IMPACT. THE AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED IN ONE SPOT WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE VERTICAL STABILIZER AND RUDDER WHICH WAS LOCATED IN A RAVINE APPROXIMATELY 20 FEET AWAY. THE WINGS WERE MAINLY INTACT WITH THE AILERONS AND FLAPS HANGING LOOSELY AT THE ATTACH POINTS. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SPLIT INTO TWO DISTINCT PARTS. FROM THE REAR PORTION OF THE WING AFT, THE FUSELAGE WAS MAINLY INTACT. FROM THAT POINT FORWARD MOST OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS COMPACTED INTO THE NOSE. ONLY ONE PROPELLER BLADE WAS VISIBLE. THE REST OF THE NOSE PORTION WAS BURIED IN THE GROUND AND SNOW. BOTH PILOTS ON BOARD WERE FATALLY INJURED UPON IMPACT OF THE AIRCRAFT. ## 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 CEN09FA098](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN09FA098), Dec 22, 2008: Piper PA-46 (N46SB), Hayden, CO, destroyed, 2 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot's loss of situational awareness while maneuvering in adverse weather conditions, resulting in spatial disorientation. 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.