- Date
- July 11, 1987, 09:30 local (15:30 UTC)
- Place
- Hayden, CO
- Injuries
- 3 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N7858PPiper PA-24-250
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 7, 1988
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19870711034429A
- Case key
- 17118
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Analysis
The plt and two pax were participating in the denver, CO to jackpot, NV air classic. The acft departed, destined for rock springs, WY. The plt was believed by a friend to have been navigating with the use of a recently installed RNAV system. The plt radioed a friend flying in the classic that he had encountered 'heavy rain' in the Hayden area. Witnesses stated the high terrain was obscured by clouds. There was no evidence of pre-impact mech malfunction of acft.
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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7858P
- Reported as
- Piper PA-24-250
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 243081
- Airframe hours
- 7,044
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-A1A5, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Part 91
- Operator
- James W. Thetford
- Registered owner
- James W Thetford
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 16, 1987 · 74 hours before
- Departed
- 1W1 · Watkins, CO
- Destination
- RKS · Rock Springs, CO
- Flight plan
- VFR
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
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,500 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SBS, 22 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.