- Date
- July 17, 1987, 10:52 local (16:52 UTC)
- Place
- Vail, CO
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N71SBMooney M20E
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 7, 1988
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19870717079219A
- Case key
- 17119
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
The pilot proceeded up a box canyon while on a cross-country flight. When unable to out climb terrain, the pilot attempted to reverse direction. During the turn, the aircraft stalled and crashed into trees. The pilot had not received instruction in mountain flying. The pilot and passenger were fatally injured.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N71SB
- Reported as
- Mooney M20E
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 565
- Airframe hours
- 2,823
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360A, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- James E. Hollis
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 1, 1987 · 61 hours before
- Departed
- EGE · Eagle, CO
- Destination
- FOE · Topeka, KS
- Flight plan
- VFR/IFR
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
- 29
- Certificates
- Military, Commercial, Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,757 total · 58 in this make and model · 570 as pilot in command · 205 in the last 90 days · 127 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 320° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 20,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- EGE, 40 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.