DEN04FA035

The pilot executed the VOR approach to runway 21. He was heard to report passing the VORTAC outbound for the procedure turn, and crossing the VORTAC (final approach fix) inbound. Witnesses said they saw the airplane emerge from the overcast slightly high and fast. They said the airplane entered a steep left bank and turned about 90 degrees before disappearing in a snow shower northeast of the airport. They heard no unusual engine noises. Another witness near the accident site saw the airplane in a steep bank and at low altitude, "just above the power lines." Based on the witness location, the airplane had turned about 270 degrees. The witness said the wings "wobbled" and the nose "dipped," then the left wing dropped and the airplane descended to the ground "almost vertically." Members of the County Sheriff's Posse, who were at a gunnery range just north of the airport, reported hearing an airplane pass over at low altitude. One posse member said he heard "an engine pitch change." He did not see the airplane because it was "snowing heavily," nor did he hear the impact. An examination of the airplane revealed no anomalies. At the time of the accident, the weather at the destination airport was few clouds 300 feet, 900 feet broken, 3,200 feet overcast; visibility, 1/2 statute and snow; temperature, 32 degrees F.; dew point, 32 degrees F.; wind, 290 degrees at 10 knots, gusting to 15 knots; altimeter, 29.71 inches.

History of flight

On January 3, 2004, at 1212 mountain standard time, a Rockwell 690A, N700SR, registered to LT Aire, Inc., and operated by Air West, Inc., both of Mesa, Arizona, was destroyed when it impacted terrain while circling to land at the Cortez Municipal Airport (CEZ), Cortez, Colorado. The commercial pilot, the only occupant aboard, was fatally injured. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan had been filed for the positioning flight being conducted under Title 14 CFR Part 91. The flight originated in Mesa, Arizona, approximately 1030.

According to the operator, the purpose of the flight was to fly one of airplane owners from Telluride, Colorado, to Mesa. According to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) documents, the pilot telephoned the Prescott, Arizona, Automated Flight Service Station at 0835 to file an IFR flight plan to Telluride. The AFSS specialist advised the pilot that he would need a reservation number in order to fly to Telluride. A visual flight rules (VFR) flight plan was filed instead so that the pilot could call back later with the reservation number and the flight plan would be changed to IFR. The pilot was then given an abbreviated weather briefing because he indicated he had already received the weather advisories. The briefing terminated at 0845. The operator said the pilot also received a weather briefing via computer. When he learned that the Telluride airport was closed due to weather, he contacted his passenger and arranged to meet him in Cortez. He then telephoned the Prescott AFSS at 0943 and amended his previously-filed flight plan, changing the destination to Cortez. He also filed a return flight plan from Cortez to Mesa. The conversation terminated at 0945.

At 1049, the pilot contacted Falcon Field Ground Control and was cleared to taxi to runway 22L. At 1052, he was issued his IFR clearance and at 1058, he was cleared for takeoff. The en route portion of the flight was uneventful. At 1131, after contacting Denver ARTCC, the pilot was instructed to cross the initial approach fix at or above 12,000 feet and was cleared for the VOR approach to Cortez. Recorded NTAP (National Track Analysis Program) radar data captured the initial portion of the instrument approach (see Aircraft Situation Display.avi, EXHIBITS). The pilot reported passing the CEZ VORTAC (Very high frequency Omnidirectional Radio range-TACtical air navigation) outbound for the procedure turn, and crossing the CEZ VORTAC (final approach fix) inbound. Radar contact was then lost. Two witnesses, a King Air pilot and an airport employee, walked outside their hanger to watch for the approaching airplane. They said they saw the airplane emerge from the overcast, slightly high and fast, and entered a steep left bank. It turned about 90 degrees before disappearing in a snow shower northeast of the airport. They heard no unusual engine noises. Another witness, sitting in a restaurant across the highway near the airport perimeter, saw the airplane in a steep bank and at low altitude, "just above the power lines." Based on the witness' statement and location, the airplane had turned about 270 degrees. The witness said the wings "wobbled" and the nose "dipped," then the left wing dropped and the airplane descend to the ground "almost vertically." Members of the Montezuma County Sheriff's Posse, who were at a gunnery range just north of the airport, reported hearing an airplane pass over at low altitude. One posse member said he heard "an engine pitch change." He did not see the airplane because it was "snowing heavily," nor did he hear the impact.

The accident occurred during the hours of daylight in instrument meteorological conditions. The location --- 7033 Highway 160 --- was defined as 37.31526 degrees north latitude, and 108.61073 degrees west longitude, and at an elevation of 5,948 feet msl (mean sea level).

Crew information

The pilot, age 39, held a commercial pilot certificate, dated 22 August 2001, with airplane multiengine land and instrument ratings, and private pilot privileges in airplane single-engine land. He also held a mechanic's certificate, dated 18 March 1999, with airframe and powerplant ratings. His second class airman medical certificate, dated 22 April 2003, contained no restrictions or limitations. He was employed by Air West on March 22, 2002. He was not one of the company's regular FAR 135 line pilots. His primary position was the director of maintenance. He had previously worked as a line mechanic for Yugoslav Airlines.

His logbook indicated that he had logged pilot-in-command time in the Cessna 310/414/421, Beech 18, and Rockwell 690A aircraft. He had also flown the Rockwell 690A in Montana the previous year during the forest fire season under contract to the U.S. Forest Service. His initial ground/flight training in the Rockwell 690A was completed on 6 December 2002, at Aviation Training Management (ATM), Vero Beach, Florida. He had also satisfactorily completed ATM's annual flight review and instrument proficiency check. His most recent FAR 135 proficiency check was accomplished on April 22, 2003. A more recent 6 month proficiency check was not documented. According to the Aircraft Accident Report, the company reported his most recent flight review was accomplished on November 15, 2003. His logbook, however, contained no such documentation.

The pilot's two logbooks, containing entries from May 26, 1995, to April 1, 2002, and from April 2, 2002, to December 18, 2003, respectively, were made available for examination. According to these logbooks, the pilot had accumulated the following flight time (in hours):

Total time: 1,872.4

Pilot-in-command: 1,808.8

Second-in-command: 3.3

Airplane, single-engine: 532.5

Airplane, multiengine: 1,341.9

Twin Commander 690A: 91.1

Instruction received: 134.8

Night: 286.0

Cross-country: 1,243.5

Actual IFR: 69.5

Simulated IFR: 111.9

Aircraft information

N700SR, a model 690A (s/n 11164), was manufactured by Rockwell in 1974 (the type certificate is presently owned by the Twin Commander Aircraft Corporation). It was equipped with two Garrett AiResearch TPE331-5-251K turboprop engines (s/n P-06318, left; P06343, right), rated at 717.5 shaft horsepower, driving two Hartzell 3-blade, all-metal, full feathering and fully reversible propellers (m/n HC-B3TN-5FL).

According to the airplane's flight log, as of January 2, 2004, the airframe had accrued 7,505.8 hours. The left engine had accrued 3,697.6 hours and 3,777 cycles, and the right engine had accrued 3,635.6 hours and 3,914 cycles.

According to maintenance records, the following airframe and engine inspections were made:

Phase B, 10/28/03, 2,992.2 hours Hobbs, 7,450.0 hours total

Phase A, 09/25/03, 2,946.1 hours Hobbs, 7,403.9 hours total

Phase D, 08/12/03, 2,896.0 hours Hobbs, 7,353.8 hours total

Phase C, 07/01/03, 2,849.6 hours Hobbs, 7,307.4 hours total

The most recent pitot-static/transponder check was accomplished on 29 April 2003, at a tachometer reading of 2,709.3 hours.

Meteorological information

The following special ASOS (Automated Surface Observation Station) meteorological report was recorded at CEZ at 1209: Wind, 290 degrees at 10 knots, gusting to 15 knots; visibility, 0.5 statute mile, snow, fog; sky condition, few clouds 300 feet, ceiling 900 feet broken, 3,200 feet overcast; temperature, 0 degrees C.; dew point, 0 degrees C.; altimeter, 29.71 inches of mercury; remarks: unknown precipitation began 1157, ended 1859, snow began 1859, freezing rain information not available.

Satellite photographs and radar images depicted an area of light to medium intensity precipitation in the southwest corner of Colorado, including Cortez.

Aids to navigation

There were no reported difficulties with the Cortez VORTAC.

Communications

According to FAA documents, transmissions from N700SR to various air route traffi