# NTSB DEN06FA043: Cessna 182E, N9298X, Austin, CO, February 23, 2006 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Fatal · Field investigation · Final report - Date: February 23, 2006, 10:59 local (17:59 UTC) - Place: Austin, CO - Coordinates: 38.766666, -108 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.7667&lon=-108.0000&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Maneuvering](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/450) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Fatal - Injuries: 3 fatal - Status: Completed, report October 12, 2006 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: Cessna Aircraft, Teledyne Continental Motors, Federal Aviation Administration - NTSB case key (mKey): 63267 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=DEN06FA043 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/63267/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=63267 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN06FA043 ## Probable cause the pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the transmission wire resulting in the airplane's outboard wing portion to be severed, and the subsequent loss of control and ground impact. Factors contributing to the accident were the pilot's impairment from his recent marijuana use and the transmission wire. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - In flight collision with object, maneuvering - impairment(drugs), pilot in command (contributing factor) - clearance - not maintained, pilot in command (cause) - object - wire,transmission (contributing factor) - In flight collision with terrain/water, descent - uncontrolled - terrain condition - open field ## Analysis A witness said he "heard the airplane buzz the ranch." The witness said the airplane then flew into the power lines. After striking the power lines there was extensive damage to the airplane. Another witness said he saw and heard the airplane "buzz the ranch." He said the airplane came in once and was closer to the river (Gunnison River). The airplane came over the ranch a second time, but was closer to the house and orchard where the power lines ran. The witness heard the impact and then saw the airplane "cartwheeling" in the field. An examination of the airplane revealed no systems anomalies. Levels of TETRAHYDROCANNABINOL (MARIHUANA) and TETRAHYDROCANNABINOL CARBOXYLIC ACID (MARIHUANA) reported on FAA toxicology testing suggest that the pilot had used marijuana very recently in relation to the time of the accident, likely within 3 hours, and that the pilot was impaired by its effects at the time of the accident. ## Factual narrative HISTORY OF FLIGHT On February 23, 2006, approximately 1059 mountain standard time, a Cessna 182E, N9298X, piloted by a commercial pilot, was destroyed when it struck power lines and subsequently impacted terrain 8 miles south-southeast of Austin, Colorado. An explosion and post-impact fire ensued. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The flight was being conducted without a flight plan under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91. The commercial pilot and 2 passengers on board the airplane sustained fatal injuries. The flight originated at Telluride, Colorado, approximately 0900 and was en route to a private air strip. According to the pilot's brother, the pilot was flying to an airstrip located near the Gunnison River Farm, the accident location, to do work there. The pilot owned a construction company and was, at the time, working to install a hydro-electric generator at the farm. The two passengers on board the airplane were believed to be employees of the pilot's company. His brother said that the pilot had flown into the nearby airstrip before and had landed at the airstrip to visit the farm only a few days before the accident. A witness who worked at the farm to which the power lines ran, said he "heard the airplane buzz the ranch." The witness said the airplane then flew into the power lines. After striking the lines there was extensive damage to the airplane. Another witness who managed the ranch said he saw and heard the airplane "buzz the ranch." He said the airplane came in once and was closer to the river (Gunnison River). The airplane came over the ranch a second time, but was closer to the house and orchard where the power lines ran. The witness heard the impact and then saw the airplane "cartwheeling" in the field. Other witnesses in the vicinity of the accident site saw flying metal and the fireball from the explosion. PERSONNEL INFORMATION The 40-year old pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with single-engine land, multi-engine land, single-engine sea, and instrument airplane privileges. The pilot also held a flight instructor certificate for single-engine land airplane privileges. The pilot held a second class medical certificate dated October, 2004. The certificate showed no waivers or limitations. An examination of the pilot's logbook showed him having 1,556.8 total flying hours, 1,540.1 hours of which were in single-engine airplanes. The logbook also showed that within the 90 days prior to the accident, the pilot logged 18.2 total flying hours, 16.4 hours of which were in the accident airplane. The logbook also showed that within the 30 days prior to the accident, the pilot logged 11.8 hours in the accident airplane. AIRCRAFT INFORMATION The airplane was a 1961 Cessna 182E, serial number 18253698. The airplane was owned and operated by the pilot and was used for business and pleasure. The airplane's registration was dated September 19, 2005. The airplane had undergone an annual inspection on March 10, 2005. The total airframe time at the annual inspection was 4,402.07 hours. The tachometer time at the annual inspection was 5,446.07 hours. The airplane's O-470-R engine, serial number 132466-6-R, was installed new on May 28, 2002. Total previous recorded tachometer time at the installation was 3,590.2 hours. The last engine logbook entry was made on September 16, 2005, when the engine oil and filter were changed. The tachometer time at the last entry was recorded as 5,499.63 hours. METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION At 1153, the Aviation Routine Weather Report at Montrose, Colorado, 167-degrees at 11.5 miles from the accident site, was clear skies, 10 miles visibility, temperature 37 degrees Fahrenheit (F), dew point 12 degrees F, winds calm, and an altimeter setting of 30.26 inches. WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION The NTSB on scene investigation began on February 24, 2006, at 0840. The accident site was located on a ranch bordered by the Gunnison river on the west and south sides. The accident site encompassed part of a peach tree orchard, an alfalfa field, and a riverbank. Terrain surrounding the vicinity of the river and the ranch encompasses bluffs that rise steeply with tops that average 500 to 1,500 feet higher than the river surface. The accident site began with downed power and telephone transmission lines located 129 feet due east (090-degrees) of the entry road than went to a ranch house and workshop. The lines were draped north to south across peach trees in the orchard. To the north of the orchard was a 33-foot long transmission pole resting in an irrigation ditch. The pole was broken off at the base and was originally situated on the top of a 550-foot bluff that overlooked the ranch. The power and telephone lines remained attached to the pole. Approximately 186 feet due east of the road was a 4-foot long section of the airplane's right outboard wing. The wing section was resting upside-down on the ground amongst peach trees. The wing was torn aft beginning at the leading edge and angling outboard at approximately 37 degrees until reaching the center aileron hinge. The wing tip was missing, but showed evidence that it had been torn aft longitudinally along the cap rivet lines. A 6 to 7-inch piece of broken clear Plexiglas rested just north of the wing section. Small pieces of wing skin were found just south of the wing section. Approximately 525 feet east of the road was a 4-foot long piece of right wing section with part of the right aileron attached. The wing section rested in an alfalfa field east of peach tree orchard. The wing piece and the aileron were crushed and torn aft and bent upward. Approximately 654 feet from the road was a 28-foot long 14-inch wide scrape in the field that ran along a 110-degree magnetic heading. Numerous small pieces of blue and white paint chips and larger pieces of clear Plexiglas were found resting in and along the scrape. The scrape widened and deepened into a 5-foot wide, 20-foot long, and 23-inch deep crater that contained pieces of wing skin, broken pieces of the left wing tip, pieces of clear Plexiglas, and the airplane's propeller and spinner. Just where the scrape began to widen and become the crater, three gashes in the ground, consistent with propeller strikes were observed. The strikes were 20 inches apart and were perpendicular to the 092-degree magnetic heading the airplane wreckage predominately was on. The propeller was buried in the crater. On removal, both propeller blades showed chordwise scratches and torsional bending. One blade was bent 43-degrees aft beginning 8 inches outboard of the propeller hub. The propeller was broken torsionally at the crankshaft neck, just aft of the flange. The spinner was crushed aft and twisted counter-clockwise about the propeller cylinder and hub. A debris field fanned eastward in a 40-degree cone from the east edge of the ground scar for approximately 198 feet to the main wreckage. Within the debris field were pieces of the instrument panel, pieces of clear Plexiglas, pieces of cabin interior and insulation, a comm-nav radio, personal effects, charts and manuals, pieces of the cabin seats, a piece of the left aileron, the left cabin door, pieces of strut fairings, navigation instruments, pieces of fuel and oil lines, and the engine muffler. The airplane main wreckage was located approximately 906 feet from the road. Preceding the main wreckage was a 51 foot long, 75 foot wide, triangular-shaped burn area in the field. Within the burn area was a 5-foot long piece of the airplane's left wing that contained the landing and taxi lights. The piece was torn laterally at mid-chord, and was charred. Also within the burn area was the engine cowling and part of the forward fuselage. The cowling and fuselage were crushed and twisted aft, charred and partially melted. Just pr ## Aircraft - Registration: [N9298X](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N9298X-2015-05-15), registration cancelled 2015-05-15, S/N 18253698, built 1961 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Cessna 182E - Registry model: [Cessna 182E](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-182e) (registry code 2072712) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental O-470 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-o-470-series) (registry code 17026, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 18253698 - Airframe hours: 5446.07 - Engines: Continental O-470-R 230 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Destroyed - Fire: On-Ground - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Glen T. Harcourt - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, March 1, 2005 - Departed: TEX, Telluride, CO - Destination: Austin, CO ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 40; injuries: fatal; commercial, flight instructor; airplane ratings: single-engine sea, multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, without waivers/limitations; last flight review November 1, 2004; seat: left; toxicology performed; flight hours: 1,559 total, 606 in this make and model, 1,312 as pilot in command, 18 in the last 90 days, 12 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: calm - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 37 °F, dew point 12 °F - Altimeter: 30.26 inHg - Observed at: KMTJ, 12 nm away ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20060223001739A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20060223001739A), Feb 23, 2006: Cessna 182E, Austin, CO, Destroyed, 3 fatal. (-23) The pilot departed telluride, CO on 2/23/06 at approximately 0900 MST with two other people on board. He flew to Austin, CO at approximately 1059 and… ## Docket (17 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 6, 2006, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=63267. 19.8 MB in all. - Supplement S (item 1, .PDF, 222 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40263189&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Supplement%20S-Master.PDF - Witness Statements (item 2, .PDF, 128 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40473315&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Witness%20Statements-Master.PDF - Wreckage Diagram (item 3, .PDF, 307 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40263195&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Wreckage%20Diagram-Master.PDF - Report from Local Agency (item 4, .PDF, 312 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40473318&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Report%20from%20Local%20Agency-Master.PDF - Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation (item 5, .PDF, 61 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40263197&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Statement%20of%20Party%20Representatives%20to%20NTSB%20Investigation-Redacted.PDF - Wreckage Release Form (item 6, .PDF, 48 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40473314&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Wreckage%20Release%20Form-Master.PDF - Toxicology Report (item 7, .PDF, 78 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40473313&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Toxicology%20Report-Master.PDF - Photo 1 - Downed Power Line (item 8, .PDF, 1.8 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40263201&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%201%20-%20Downed%20Power%20Line-Master.PDF - Photo 2 - Accident Scene (item 9, .PDF, 1.8 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40263202&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%202%20-%20Accident%20Scene-Master.PDF - Photo 3 - Right Outboard Wing (item 10, .PDF, 2.4 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40263203&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%203%20-%20Right%20Outboard%20Wing-Master.PDF - Photo 4 - Ground Scar (item 11, .PDF, 1 photo, 3.1 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40473316&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%204%20-%20Ground%20Scar-Master.PDF - Photo 5 - Debris Field (item 12, .PDF, 1 photo, 2.1 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40473317&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%205%20-%20Debris%20Field-Master.PDF - Photo 6 - Main Wreckage, Left Wing (item 13, .PDF, 863 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40263209&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%206%20-%20Main%20Wreckage,%20Left%20Wing-Master.PDF - Photo 7 - Main Wreckage, FWD Fuselage & Cabin (item 14, .PDF, 1.1 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40263220&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%207%20-%20Main%20Wreckage,%20FWD%20Fuselage%20%26%20Cabin-Master.PDF - Photo 8 - Engine & Main Landing Gear Legs (item 15, .PDF, 2.2 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40263224&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%208%20-%20Engine%20%26%20Main%20Landing%20Gear%20Legs-Master.PDF - Photo 9 - Burn Area, Irrigation Pipe & Debris (item 16, .PDF, 1.6 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40263228&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%209%20-%20Burn%20Area,%20Irrigation%20Pipe%20%26%20Debris-Master.PDF - Photo 10 - Burned Brush (item 17, .PDF, 1.7 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40263230&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%2010%20-%20Burned%20Brush-Master.PDF 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. --- 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.