- Date
- February 10, 1984, 19:27 local (Feb 11, 1984, 02:27 UTC)
- Place
- Durango, CO
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N6400EBeech 58P
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19840210003709A
- Case key
- 16199
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
When the plt called the fss at 1341 MST, he stated he had already received some 'real time' wx & requested only the wx at Durango & farmington, NM. He filed an IFR flt plan to Durango & took off at 1437. Drg arrival, the plt attempted to get into VFR conditions to land at pagosa springs, about 30 mi ene of Durango. However, he was unable, so he contd to the filed destination. An ils/dme rwy 2 apch was made to circle & land on rwy 20 at Durango. At 1925:44, the plt radioed that he had the arpt in sight. The aircrew of sunwest flt 204 saw N6400E break out in the clear & enter a left downwind for rwy 20. However, they lost sight of N6400E as it was abeam of the apch end of rwy 20. Aprx 5 sec later, thecoplt of flt 204 saw the lights of N6400E break out of the clouds, & aprx 1 sec later, he saw 'a large green ball of fire.' An exam of the crash site revealed the acft struck a power line about 30 to 35 ft AGL while configured for landing, then crashed. The elev of the uncontrolled arpt was 6685 ft, the circling mda was 7100 ft. wnd was gstg 12 KTS.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6400E
- Reported as
- Beech 58P
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- TJ-400
- Airframe hours
- 430
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-520-WB, 325 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Merrill J. Anderson
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · January 20, 1984 · 20 hours before
- Departed
- FGM · Eden Prairie, MN
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- DRO · Durango-La Plata, runway 20, 9,200 × 150 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 51
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,819 total · 320 in this make and model · 1,659 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 200° at 5 knots, gusting 12
- Visibility
- 2 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 300 ft
- Temperature
- 32 °F, dew point 10 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- DRO, 1 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.