DEN06FA010

The private pilot held an instrument rating and had logged 2 hours of night flight time within the previous 60 days. At the time of the accident, he was operating under night visual flight rules, in mountainous terrain, without a flight plan. The National Track Analysis Program (NTAP) radar data illustrated that the pilot initiated a descent from 14,000 feet msl at 1919:55. The rate of descent varied between 500 feet and 1,000 feet per minute. The last radar position recorded was at 1927:20. The airplane was at a location of 40 degrees, 21 minutes, 24 seconds north latitude, 106 degrees, 41 minutes, 49 seconds west longitude, at an encoded altitude of 10,500 feet msl. The airplane was located in a densely wooded area on the north face of a peak, at an approximate elevation of 10,500 feet msl, 580 feet west of the last radar position. Sunset was recorded at 1817 and the end of civil twilight was 1844. The moon rose at 2057 on the preceding day (October 21, 2005), and set at 1312 on the day of the accident. An examination of the airplane's systems, airframe, and engine, revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation prior to impact.

History of flight

On October 22, 2005, at 1927 mountain daylight time (MDT), a Lancair LC-40-550FG, N101HK, operated by Kittyhawk Partners LLC., and piloted by a private pilot, was destroyed when it impacted terrain 10 miles east of Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was being conducted under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 without a flight plan. The private pilot and his passenger were fatally injured. The cross-country flight departed Burlington (BRL), Iowa, 1421 MDT (1521 central daylight time), and was en route to Bob Adams Field, Steamboat Springs (SBS), Colorado.

According to the pilot's family, he had departed an airport on the east coast the morning of the accident, and had stopped in BRL due to weather. The pilot called the Kankakee Automated Flight Service Station at 1446 MDT, obtained a weather briefing, and filed an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan. The pilot departed BRL, and climbed to an initial altitude of 12,000 feet mean seal level (msl).

While en route, the pilot contacted Flight Watch on two separate occasions to obtain an update on the forecasted winds aloft, en route weather, and weather at his destination. At 1832 MDT, the pilot contacted the Denver Center controller, requested, and was cleared to an altitude of 16,000 feet msl. At 1912 MDT, the pilot cancelled his IFR flight plan and stated he was going to descend to 14,000 msl with visual flight rules (VFR) radar flight following services from Denver Center. At 1920 MDT the pilot cancelled his VFR radar flight following. The flight duration, from departure until impact, was 5 hours and 6 minutes.

The National Track Analysis Program (NTAP) radar data illustrated that the pilot initiated a descent from 14,000 feet msl at 1919:55 MDT. The rate of descent varied between 500 feet and 1,000 feet per minute. The NTAP recorded the last radar information at 1927:20 MDT, at a location of 40 degrees, 21 minutes, 24 seconds north latitude, 106 degrees, 41 minutes, 49 seconds west longitude, at an encoded altitude of 10,500 feet msl. This location was 580 feet from where the main wreckage was located.

According to a group of hunters in the area, the airplane flew over their camp approximately 300 feet above ground level (agl). The airplane was extremely low and the lights of the airplane illuminated the ground. One hunter reported the engine was sputtering, and backfiring, and another hunter reported the "engine was exceptionally loud, and [he] could hear it sputtering and just not sounding right." Another hunter in the same party stated he did not "notice any abnormal engine noises or strange flying behavior." Shortly after the airplane flew over the camp, the hunters heard three loud pops, and one hunter reported that the engine noise ceased.

The airplane was located by the Routt County Search and Rescue Team approximately 1130 on October 23, 2005. The airplane was located in a densely wooded area on the north face of Walton Peak at an approximate elevation of 10,500 feet msl.

Personnel information

The pilot, age 41, held a private pilot certificate issued on August 10, 2000, with airplane single engine land and instrument ratings. The instrument rating was issued on August 22, 2005. The pilot held a third class airman medical certificate issued on November 5, 2004. The certificate contained the limitations "Holder Shall Wear Corrective Lenses."

The pilot's personal logbook was located within the airplane wreckage. According to the logbook, he had logged 310 hours total time; 122 hours of which were in the accident airplane. The pilot had logged 44 hours of night flying experience, 2 hours of which were logged in the accident airplane (within the previous 60 days). He had performed three landings at night within the last 90 days. The pilot had successfully completed the requirements of a flight review on June 16, 2005, in the accident airplane.

According to Columbia Aircraft Manufacturing Corporation (CAM), they conducted an initial airplane checkout in the accident airplane with the accident pilot, on June 14, through June 16, 2005. The total flight time reflected in the pilot's logbook and training records was 8.6 hours. Units I through V were completed for VFR flight only. The instructor's only written comments were "good job all things considered, good decisions."

Aircraft information

The accident airplane, a Columbia Lancair LC-40-550FG (serial number 40005), was manufactured in 2000. It was registered with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on a standard airworthiness certificate. The airplane was equipped with a Teledyne Continental Motors IO-550-N2B (serial number 683366) engine rated for 310 brake horsepower at 2,700 rpm. The engine was equipped with a three-blade, constant speed, hydraulically actuated Hartzell propeller.

The airplane was registered to Kittyhawk Partners LLC, and maintained under an annual inspection program. The maintenance records indicated that the airplane underwent an annual inspection on June 6, 2005, at a Hobbs meter reading of 1,454.6 and an airframe total time of 1,395.3. The airplane had flown 142.2 hours between the last annual inspection and the accident.

The airplane was equipped with a Precise Flight oxygen system, which was installed in accordance with the Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) SA01060SE, in June of 2002. The system had a 22 cubic foot oxygen bottle. The bottle was equipped with a Nelson Oxygen Equipment Model 300-M regulator and four manually operated oxygen supply flow controls.

Meteorological information

The closest official weather observation station was Yampa Valley Airport (HDN), Hayden, Colorado; which was located 26 nautical miles (nm) northwest of the accident site. The elevation of the weather observation station was 6,602 feet msl. The routine aviation weather report (METAR) for HDN, issued at 1915 MDT, reported, wind, 190 degrees at 3 knots; visibility, 10 statute miles; sky condition, clear; temperature, 09 degrees Celsius (C); dewpoint, minus 02 degrees C; altimeter, 30.12 inches.

According to the United States Naval Observatory, Astronomical Applications Department Sun and Moon Data, the sunset was recorded at 1817 MDT and the end of civil twilight was 1844 MDT. The moon rose at 2057 MDT on the preceding day (October 21, 2005), and set at 1312 MDT on the day of the accident. The moon rose again at 2152 MDT the day of the accident.

Wreckage and impact information

The National Transportation Safety Board Investigator-in-Charge (IIC) arrived on scene approximately 1300 on October 24, 2005. The accident site was located in forested, mountainous terrain. A global positioning system (GPS) receiver reported the location as 40 degrees 21.382 minutes north latitude and 106 degrees 41.940 minutes west longitude. The accident elevation was 10,500 feet msl and the airplane impacted on a heading of 255 degrees.

The initial impact point was located to the east of the main wreckage. Several trees, 50 to 60 feet in height, were broken towards the top, in the direction of the main wreckage. Paint chips, fiberglass, fuel splatter, and broken tree branches were located in the snow, directly below the initial impact point. A debris path extended from the initial impact point to the wing and empennage assemblies. Torn composite material, paint chips, acrylic, the left and right wing tips, personal effects, and broken branches were located within the debris path.

Both wing assemblies and the empennage were located 222 feet west of the initial impact point. The right wing, to include a portion of the right flap assembly and the right aileron, separated from the fuselage approximately 24 inches outboard of the wing root. The fuel tank was compromised and the wing assembly exhibited splintered and crushed fiberglass along the leading edge and at the top of the