DEN01FA096

Numerous witnesses, some as far away as 25 miles from the accident site, observed a low-flying airplane matching the description of the accident airplane. It was seen to drop down to near the surface of a reservoir, continue for several miles, then pull up and strike four 1/2-inch diameter aluminum high tension power lines that spanned the width of the reservoir. Three lines carried 26,000 volts and the ground (static) line carried 12,000 volts. The distance between the supporting structures was 1,245 feet. The low point of the drooping cables was about 250 feet above the water's surface. The cables were unmarked, and there are no regulations requiring that they be marked. The airplane was flying towards a setting sun when the collision occurred. Both pilots were commercial certificated, instrument rated, and flight instructors. The airplane was equipped with dual flight controls; therefore, which pilot was serving as pilot-in-command during the flight is not known. The medical examiner found a piece of paper clutched in the first (left seat) pilot's fist. It was later identified as being a portion of the Denver Sectional Chart, and depicted an area just north of the accident site. According to the pathologist, the injuries exhibited by the second (right seat) pilot were consistent with (and the injuries exhibited by the first pilot were not consistent with) being at the controls of the airplane. Toxicological screening revealed tetrahydrocannabinol carboxylic acid (marijuana) in the second pilot's blood [0.0096 (ug/ml, ug/g)] and urine [0.0768 (ug/ml, ug/g)]. The first pilot tested negative for drugs and alcohol.

History of flight

On May 11, 2001, at 1937 mountain daylight time, a Beech 76, N6002H, registered to EDB Air, Inc., and operated by Wings of Denver, a flying club, of Englewood, Colorado, was destroyed when it collided with power lines and impacted the Blue Mesa Reservoir approximately 17 miles west of Gunnison, Colorado. The two commercial pilots were fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight being conducted under Title 14 CFR (Code of Federal Regulations) Part 91. The flight originated from Centennial Airport, Englewood, at 1755.

There is no record that either pilot obtained a weather briefing or filed a flight plan. According to the Centennial Airport Control Tower, the airplane was cleared to taxi at 1743, to position and hold at 1754, for take off on runway 17L at 1755, and to depart to the west at 1756. According to the Denver Air Route Traffic Control Center, a VFR (visual flight rules) target, squawking 1200, was seen departing Centennial Airport at about that time. It climbed to 9,800 feet and steadied up on a southwesterly course before disappearing from radar about 20 miles away.

There were numerous reports of a low-flying airplane. The first was from a resident in Crested Butte, about 25 miles north of Gunnison, who said a twin engine airplane flew low over town and disappeared flying south. Next, a resident on the north side of Gunnison (N. 11th St.) reported seeing an airplane matching the description of N6002H flying south over the Gunnison River "at a high rate of speed." In his written statement, he said the airplane "was below the crest of the (Palisades) bluffs at an estimated altitude of 200 feet or less." The airplane then made "an abrupt 30 degree plus bank to the right" and proceeded towards the Blue Mesa Reservoir. Another resident, located about 2 blocks away (Floresta St.) saw a low flying airplane. "I could see half of the mountain (Palisades) above the plane," he wrote.

The fixed base operator at Gunnison County Airport was waiting outside for a UPS flight to arrive when he saw a twin engine airplane plane flying southwest about 150 to 200 feet above the ground. The airplane banked right and followed the Gunnison River westward. He went back inside and heard voices on the UNICOM frequency "talking about the shoreline and different fingers of water on Blue Mesa Reservoir. It sounded as if the mike (sic) button was stuck," he wrote. At about this time another witness, who was traveling east on U.S. 50 about 5 miles west of Gunnison, saw a twin engine airplane coming straight towards her "no more than 50 feet above the highway." A U.S. National Park Service ranger, who was at the east end of the reservoir, saw a twin engine airplane drop down to the surface of the water. Asked how low the airplane was, the ranger said the propellers were "kicking up a spray."

Numerous other witnesses reported seeing a twin engine airplane collide with power transmission lines that crossed the reservoir and impact the water. Some witnesses said the airplane was on fire after striking the power lines, others said there was fire on the surface of the water that lasted for about 5 minutes. The airplane sank to a depth of 130 feet. Small pieces of wreckage, airplane documents, and a flight logbook, identified as belonging to the left seat pilot, floated to the surface and were recovered.

Personnel information

The airplane was equipped with dual flight controls; therefore, which pilot was serving as pilot-in-command during the flight is not known. For the purpose of this report, the left and right seat pilots are referred to as the first and second pilots, respectively.

The first pilot, age 31, held a commercial pilot certificate with airplane single/multiengine land and instrument ratings. He held a flight instructor certificate with a single-engine airplane rating, and an advanced ground instructor certificate. His first class airman medical certificate contained the restriction, "Must wear corrective lenses." His logbook was recovered from the reservoir and revealed the following:

Student pilot certificate September 11,1995

Solo, Cessna 152 October 20, 1995

Private pilot certificate June 17, 1996

Instrument rating June 2, 1999

Advanced ground instructor July 26, 1999

Commercial pilot certificate July 29, 1999

Flight instructor certificate July 18, 2000

Multiengine rating January 12, 2001

The following flight times were recorded (includes the 2-hour accident flight):

Total time 854.4

Multiengine 82.3

Beech 76 72.0

Piper PA-30CR 1.5

Piper PA-44-180T 2.9

Beech 95-C55 3.9

Cessna 340 2.0

The pilot received a B.S. degree from Metropolitan State College of Denver in 1999 with an Air Carrier/General Aviation major.

The second pilot, age 30, held a commercial pilot certificate with airplane single/multiengine land and instrument ratings. He also held a flight instructor certificate with a single-engine airplane rating. His second class airman medical certificate contained no restrictions or limitations. Examination of the second pilot's logbook revealed the following:

Student pilot certificate March 21, 1994

Solo, Cessna 152 April 13, 1994

Private pilot certificate August 15, 1994

Instrument rating April 19, 1996

Commercial pilot certificate July 9, 1996

Multiengine rating June 10, 1998

Flight instructor certificate October 22, 1999

The following flight times were recorded (includes the 2-hour accident flight):

Total time 1,026.3

Multiengine 43.5

Beech 76 10.4

Piper PA-44-180T 25.2

Beech 95-C55 3.9

The pilot also received a B.S. degree from Metropolitan State College of Denver in 1999 with an Air Carrier/General Aviation major.

Both pilots' Daily Planners were examined and compared. Although they had scheduled previous flights together in the Beech 76, their logbooks indicated they had flown together only once, on April 26.

Aircraft information

N6002H (s.n. ME-121), a model 76, was manufactured by the Beech Aircraft Corporation in 1978. It was equipped with two Textron Lycoming engines (m.n. O-360-A1G6D, s.n. L-25681-36A, left; m.n. LO-360-A1G6D, s.n. L-462-71A, right), driving two Hartzell 2-blade, all metal, full-feathering propellers (m/n HC-M2YR-2CEUF, s/n FB246, left; HC-M2YR-2CLEUF, s/n FB242, right).

According to the aircraft records, the last maintenance event was a 100-hour inspection done on May 3, 2001, at tachometer times of 4,872.5 and 4,158.5 hours, left and right engine, respectively. At that time, the airframe had accrued 4,872.5 hours total time-in-service, the left engine had accrued 4,872.5 hours total time-in-service, and the right engine had accrued 3,884.09 hours total time-in-service.

The left engine was overhauled on November 9, 1990, after it had accrued 2,006 hours, and the right engine was overhauled on May 26, 1994, after it had accrued 1,976.4 hours. As of the date of the 100-hour inspection, the left and right engines had accrued 2,834.6 and 1,907.69 hours since major overhaul, respectively.

On April 6, 2001, the static system, altimeter, and encoder were tested as required by FAR 91.411, and certified for IFR flight in accordance with FAR 43, Appendix E.

Both propellers received 100-hour inspections on December 6, 2000, at a tachometer time of 4,773.48 hours. At that time, both propellers had accrued 4,773.48 hours total time-in-service. The left propeller had accrued 1,808.08, and the right propeller had accrued 1,118.28 hours since major overhaul, respectively. Both propellers were overhauled on November 22, 1994.

Meteorological information

The following METAR (Aviation Routine Weather Report) observation was recorded at the Gunnison County Airport, located approximately 16 miles northeast of the accident site, at 1955:

Wind, 350 degrees at 6 knots; visibility, 10 statute miles; sky condition, cl