DEN01FA070

The cross-country flight was receiving visual flight rules (VFR) flight following. At 1127, the controller provided the pilot with the 1115 weather observation for his destination as a few clouds at 2,100 feet agl, scattered clouds at 3,000 feet agl, broken clouds at 3,400 feet agl, and visibility of 7 statute miles. Conversion of the cloud heights to msl, using the destination elevation of 6,445 feet msl, indicated the cloud bases were between 8,545 and 9,845 feet msl. At 1129, the pilot advised the controller that he was going to descend from 12,500 to 10,500 feet msl. When the controller asked the pilot if he was familiar with the high terrain in the area and the pilot said that he was not, the controller advised the pilot of instrument flight rules minimum altitudes (MIA's) in the area of his destination, ranging from 10,000 feet to 14,000 feet msl. At 1136, radar data depicted the airplane 40 nautical miles southeast of its destination at 11,500 feet msl turning left toward the south. An 1130 satellite image showed a band of clouds near the location where the airplane turned toward the south, with cloud tops estimated to be between 12,000 to 12,500 feet msl. At 1139:36, radar data showed the flight approximately 5 nautical miles south of its 1136 position, level at 10,800 feet (2,800 feet agl). The last radar contact was at 1141:31 and showed the airplane at an altitude of 10,800 feet, approximately 48 nautical miles southeast of the destination. After radar contact was lost, the airplane reversed course and headed northwest towards the destination. The airplane impacted mountainous terrain approximately 16 miles southeast of the destination at an elevation of approximately 10,400 feet msl. Visible satellite images for 1145, 1200, and 1215 showed an area of scattered to broken clouds just west of the airplane's last radar (1141:31) position extending northward toward the destination. The clouds became broken to overcast near the accident location. It is likely that the airplane entered clouds shortly before impact. The non-instrument rated private pilot had a total of 13 hours instrument flight time. Examination of the airplane did not reveal any pre-impact anomalies that would have prevented its normal operation.

History of flight

On March 12, 2001, approximately 1215 mountain standard time (mst), a Beech A36 single-engine airplane, N1080A, was destroyed upon impact with terrain while in cruise flight near Pinnacle Peak, 16 miles southeast of Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The airplane was registered to Litz Aviation and operated by the pilot. The private pilot and his three passengers received fatal injuries. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the accident site and no flight plan was filed for this cross-country flight operating under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The personal flight originated from Garden City, Kansas, at 0900 central standard time (cst), with a destination of Jackson Hole.

The pilot obtained flight following services during the flight from Garden City to Jackson Hole. At 1029:19 mst (unless noted, all times are mst based on the 24-hour clock), the pilot reported to Salt Lake Air Route Traffic Control Center (SLC ARTCC) that the flight was level at 12,500 feet. At 1126:43, the SLC ARTCC controller made the following comment to the Jackson Hole controller: "And, uh, I'll pass this one, this guy's visual flight rules (VFR), and he said, supposedly going to Jackson. I don't know how he's gonna do that if those other guys shoot the ILS, but, maybe he'll change his plan.......he's VFR for now I should say." At 1127:16, the controller asked the pilot, "November one zero eight zero alpha, do you have the current Jackson weather?" The pilot responded, "Uh, no I don't. I was just fixing to get it, uh, eight zero alpha." The controller replied, "November eight zero alpha, the most current I have is the Jackson one eight one five (1115 mst) automatic observation, wind two zero zero at six, visibility seven, few clouds at two thousand one hundred, three thousand scattered, ceiling three thousand four hundred broken, temperature minus one, dew point minus seven, altimeter two niner niner four."

At 1129:00, the pilot stated, "Center this is Bonanza one zero eight zero alpha. I'm gonna descend on down to ten point five thousand." The controller replied, "Uh, eight zero alpha, roger, maintain VFR, Jackson altimeter two niner niner four. Are you familiar with the high terrain?" The pilot replied, "Uh, no, I'm not, eight zero alpha." The controller stated, "Okay, the, uh, your present position, you're right on the boundary between an area on your left, which is, uh, the minimum IFR altitude's (MIA) one zero thousand, on your right side, the, uh, minimum IFR altitude is one three thousand six hundred. However, you are approaching an area, uh, southeast of Jackson, where the minimum IFR altitude would be one four thousand, due to the high terrain." The pilot replied, "Okay, uh, uh, it looks like there's a valley down through there though, eight zero alpha." The controller responded, "November eight zero alpha, roger, maintain VFR. There's a, off to the left of your position, uh, there's a little bit lower MIA's, uh, south and southwest of Jackson. MIA's are one two thousand, and as you get to about eleven miles south of Jackson, it goes up to one two thousand niner hundred."

At 1136:34, radar data depicted the airplane level at 11,500 feet (3,300 feet agl) and approximately 40 nautical miles southeast of Jackson Hole, when it began a left turn toward the south. At 1139:36, the flight was approximately 5 nautical miles south of its 1136:34 position, which was approximately 45 nautical miles southeast of Jackson Hole, level at 10,800 feet (2,800 feet agl).

At 1139:43, the controller tried three times to contact the pilot of N1080A. The pilot of Northwest Airlines Flight 1515 advised the controller that the pilot of N1080A could hear him. The controller stated that he had some questions for the pilot of N1080A, and asked the Northwest pilot to relay his answers. The controller then asked the pilot of N1080A about his intentions. The pilot replied, "We'll be landing at, uh, Jackson Hole in a few minutes." The Northwest pilot stated, "Center, he'd like to turn back to the north and land at, uh, Jackson Hole." The controller responded, "Uh, Northwest fifteen fifteen, uh, roger I'm gonna lose him on radar here shortly. Advise him radar service terminated, squawk VFR, frequency change approved. When he gets close to Jackson he can contact Jackson tower, one one eight point seven zero." The Northwest pilot relayed this information. There were no further communications with the pilot of N1080A.

According to SLC ARTCC radar data, the last radar contact with N1080A was at 1141:31 at an altitude of 10,800 feet, approximately 48 nautical miles southeast of Jackson Hole, heading in a southwesterly direction. An emergency locator transmitter (ELT) signal was subsequently reported in the Jackson Hole area.

The airplane wreckage was located by the Teton County Sheriff's Office search and rescue team on March 13, 2001, at approximately 1415 mst, on sloping, mountainous terrain, approximately 16 nautical miles southeast of Jackson Hole near Pinnacle Peak (elevation 10,800 feet) at an elevation of approximately 10,400 feet. The coordinates of the accident site were 43 degrees 23.18 minutes North latitude, 110 degrees 31.70 minutes West longitude.

Personnel information

The non-instrument rated private pilot (single-engine land) was issued his pilot's certificate on June 28, 1999. His most recent biennial flight review was on December 24, 2000. The pilot's total flight time was 445 hours, with 44 hours in the Beech A36, 4 hours of actual instrument flight time, and 9 hours of simulated instrument flight time. According to FAA records, the pilot's last third class aviation medical examination was performed on April 22, 1999. The medical certificate contained the following limitation, "Must wear corrective lenses."

Aircraft information

The 1996-model Beech A36 (serial number E-3025), was a low wing, six-place airplane, with retractable landing gear. The airplane was powered by a Continental IO-550-B engine rated at 300-horsepower, and a McCauley three-bladed, constant-speed propeller. The last annual inspection was completed on March 8, 2001. At the time of the last annual inspection, the total time on the airframe was 1,163 hours.

The airplane was equipped and approved for day VFR, night VFR, and instrument flight rules (IFR) operations. Flight into known icing conditions was prohibited. The airplane was also equipped with an oxygen system and a 3-axis autopilot.

Meteorological information

At 0606 cst, the pilot obtained a weather briefing from the Wichita Flight Service Station (FSS). The weather briefer informed the pilot that there was an IFR precaution for the area of intended flight, covering an area from Laramie and Rawlins, Wyoming, and Rapid City, South Dakota, extending down to the Garden City, Kansas area. The IFR precaution was for moderate rime to mixed icing below 14,000 feet north and east of Garden City, and west of Cheyenne, Wyoming, between 8,000 and 18,000 feet. The briefer reported that the frontal system was well beyond the pilot's route of flight, and that a high pressure system was developing in the area. The briefer stated that in northeastern Colorado, and in southern Wyoming, some cloud layers would be encountered.

The briefer reported that 200 miles to the northwest of Garden City, in the area of Akron, Colorado, the latest observation reported visibility 6 miles in fog, scattered clouds at 5,000 feet, overcast clouds at 7,000 feet. Burlington, Colorado, 40 miles southeast of Akron, reported sky clear below 12,000 feet, 10 miles visibility, with a 2 degree temperature/dewpoint spread.

The briefer reported the weather at Cheyenne, approximately 300 miles northwest of Garden City, as a few clouds at 5,000 feet, broken clouds at 6,500 feet, ceiling and overcast clouds at 8,500 feet, temperature minus 3 degrees, dewpoint minus 8 degre